24 Feb 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

ElBaradei calls for election boycott

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Arab militia kills 53 in Darfur region KHARTOUM: An Arab militia firing heavy machine guns killed more than 50 people in Sudan’s Darfur region yesterday, residents said, continuing unrest that has caused the largest displacement of people in years. “ They came on Land Cruisers, used Dushkas and they burned 30 houses killing 53 people,” said one resident of El Sireaf town, to which most of the 100,000 people displaced or severely affected by the earlier tribal fighting had fled.

Another resident, who said he was wounded, also gave a figure of 53 dead. The two said the attackers wore uniforms and belonged to a militia of the Rezeigat tribe, which has been fighting rival Arabs from the Beni Hussein group since early January in the Jebel Amir gold mining area of North Darfur state.

LSE academic barred from UAE conference DUBAI: The London School of Economics has pulled out of an academic conference on the Arab Spring after one of its scholars said he was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, co-director of the Kuwait program at the London School of Economics, said yesterday he was denied entry in Dubai and returned to London.

Ulrichsen, who has written critically about the Bahraini government’s response to mass protests that erupted in early 2011, told Reuters UAE authorities had instructed conference organisers to cut any discussion of Bahrain from the program. “They made it very clear,” he said. There was no immediate comment from UAE authorities. In response, the London School of Economics pulled out of today’s planned conference on the Arab Spring and its aftermath, co-hosted by the University of Sharjah.

UAE should charge or free Egyptians: HRW DUBAI: Human Rights Watch yesterday urged authorities in the United Arab Emirates either to charge a group of 13 Egyptians held over suspected links with the Muslim Brotherhood or release them. “If the UAE government can show the Egyptian detainees have engaged in criminal behavior, why hasn’t it charged them with a crime,” asked Nadim Houry, HRW’s deputy Middle East director. “Authorities should stop this shameful practice of arresting people only to hold them without charge for months on end,” he said. Citing relatives of seven of them, HRW added that the “authorities have not granted access to lawyers or in-person visits with family members”. The “arbitrary” detention of the Egyptians follows “similar violations of the rights of 94 Emiratis also detained arbitrarily for months without charges amid a broader crackdown on freedom of expression and critics of the government,” said HRW.

Palestinian inmate dies in Israeli jail JERUSALEM: A Palestinian prisoner died yesterday in an Israeli jail, a prison spokeswoman said, with a Palestinian official charging he was killed during questioning and demanding an international probe. “Arafat Jaradat... was arrested a few days ago.

He was killed during the investigation,” the Palestinian minister in charge of prisoner affairs Issa Qaraqaa told AFP. “We demand the creation of an international commission of inquiry to probe the circumstances of his death,” Qaraqaa added. Israel Prisons Service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman said Jaradat, a 30-year-old from the West Bank city of Hebron, died suddenly yesterday at the Meggido detention centre in northern Israel.

KUWAIT: Kites depicting the Kuwaiti leadership and national historical figures are flown over Messilah Beach yesterday as part of the state’s national days’celebrations. — KUNA (See Page 2)

Oppn slams inaction on Syria slaughter DAMASCUS: Syria’s main opposition group is pulling out of international talks and demanding world action to stop the slaughter of Syrians, officials said yesterday, as missiles killed dozens in the second city of Aleppo.

The Syrian National Coalition’s decision to boycott talks with world powers came after it said it would form a government to run “liberated areas” of Syria. “We cannot continue listening to statements that are not accompanied by action,” the opposition umbrella group’s spokesman Walid Al-Bunni said in remarks to France 24’s Arabic-language channel yesterday. “The world has a responsibility to protect (the Syrian people) from a butcher who has been slaughtering them for two years,” a reference to President Bashar Al-Assad.

Coalition chief Ahmed Moaz Al-Khatib repeated the call for concrete action on Syria at a demonstration in Cairo. “All the administrations of the world can see what is happening... We cannot visit any country until there is a clear decision on this savage, aggressive regime,” Khatib told the Dubai-based Al-Aan pan-Arab television.

Late on Friday, the group had said it would not attend meetings in Italy, Russia and the United States to protest the “shameful” lack of global condemnation of “crimes committed against the Syrian people”. It had been due to attend the Friends of Syria meeting in Rome on Thursday, and Khatib had also been invited to Moscow.

“The international silence on the crimes committed every day against our people amounts to participating in two years of killings,” a statement said. “We hold the Russian leaders in particular ethically and politically responsible because they continue to support the (Damascus) regime with weapons.” Bunni also challenged the United States to honour what he said were promises of support for democracy in Syria. “Our visit to Washington is on hold until Washington takes a stance that is in accordance with US statements on its support for democracy,” the opposition spokesman said. On Friday, he had announced plans for a government for “liberated areas” that he said he hoped would be based inside northern Syria. — AFP

Four held in Egypt for ‘Harlem Shake’ CAIRO: Egyptian police said yesterday they have arrested four students who filmed themselves publicly dancing in their underwear, as more people around the world emulate a viral dance craze called the “Harlem Shake”. The four pharmaceutical students shocked residents of a middle class Cairo neighbourhood when they removed most of their clothes and videotaped themselves performing the pelvis-thrusting dance, a police official said. The hostile audience tried to assault the students, who are accused of committing “a scandalous act,” the official added. The dance craze was sparked by a group of Australian teenagers who uploaded the 31-second clip “The Harlem Shake v1 (TSCS original)” onto YouTube earlier this month.

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Ali Al-Rashed rides a camel during an open day yesterday at the KNPC camp to honor former secretary generals. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Max 25º Min 12º High Tide 10:12 & 19:33 Low Tide 03:40 & 13:59

DUBAI: Days before resuming talks over its disputed atomic program, Iran said yesterday it had found significant new deposits of raw uranium and identified sites for 16 more nuclear power stations. State news agency IRNA quoted a report by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) which said the reserves were discovered in northern and southern coastal areas and had trebled the amount outlined in previous estimates.

With few uranium mines of its own, Western experts had previously thought that Iran might be close to exhausting its supply of raw uranium.

“We have discovered new sources of uranium in the country and we will put them to use in the near future,” Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, head of the AEOI, was quoted as saying at Iran’s annual nuclear industry conference. The timing of the announcement suggested Iran, by talking up its reserves and nuclear ambitions, may hope to strengthen its negotiating hand at talks in Kazakhstan on Tuesday with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Iran’s reserves of raw uranium now stood at around 4,400 tonnes, taking into account discoveries over the past 18 months, IRNA quoted the report as saying.

In another sign that Iran is intent on pushing forward with its nuclear ambitions, the report also said 16 sites had been identified for the construction of nuclear power stations. It did not specify the exact locations but said they included coastal areas of the Gulf, Sea of Oman, Khuzestan province and the Caspian Sea. Iranian authorities have long announced their desire to build more nuclear power plants for electricity production.

Only one currently exists, in the southern city of Bushehr, and that has suffered several shutdowns in recent months.

The announcements could further complicate the search for a breakthrough in Kazakhstan, after three unsuccessful rounds of talks between the two sides in 2012. “We are meeting all of our obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and we should be able to benefit from our rights. We don’t accept more responsibilities and less rights,” Saeed Jalili, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, was quoted as telling yesterday’s conference. “If the P5+1 group wants to start constructive talks with Tehran it needs to present a valid proposal,” said Jalili. “It needs to put its past errors to one side ... to win the trust of the Iranian nation.” — Reuters

Alarm over nuke waste leaks in US LOS ANGELES: At least six tanks containing radioactive waste in the US state of Washington are leaking, the state said Friday, urging more federal help to clean up a site used to make Cold War-era bombs.

Washington governor Jay Inslee said that the extent of the leaks at the Hanford site - which first produced fuel for nuclear bombs in World War II and closed down 25 years ago - was “disturbing”. “There is no immediate or near-term health risk associated with these newly discovered leaks, which are more than five miles from the Columbia River,” he said, after meeting US Energy Secretary Steven Chu in Washington DC. “But nonetheless this is disturbing news for all Washingtonians,” he said.

He noted that Chu, the outgoing US energy secretary, told him a week ago that only one tank was leaking, but admitted “his department did not adequately analyze data it had that would have shown the other tanks that are leaking”. “This certainly raises serious questions about the integrity of all 149 single-shell tanks with radioactive liquid and sludge at Hanford. I believe we need a new system for removing waste from these ageing tanks, and was heartened to hear that the Department of Energy is looking at options for accelerating that process.”

The Hanford nuclear site, 300 km southeast of Seattle, was used to produce plutonium for the bomb that brought an end to World War II. Output grew after 1945 to meet the challenges of the Cold War, but the last reactor closed down in 1987. Its website says: “Weapons production processes left solid and liquid wastes that posed a risk to the local environment.” Millions of gallons of leftover waste is contained in 177 tanks at the site, according to the Department of Energy, which in 1989 agreed a deal with Washington state authorities to clean up the Hanford Site.

A Department of Energy spokesman, Lindsey Geisler, confirmed that “there are six tanks at the Hanford site .. including the one announced last week, that show declining levels of fluid”. “There is no immediate public health risk. The Department is working with the State of Washington and other key stakeholders to address the issues associated with these tanks,” he added. — AFP (See Page 29)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LOCAL

KMBS to represent Kuwait in GMC competition First and the only team from GCC

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: For the first time since the Global Management Challenge (GMC) was founded in 1980, Kuwait is participating in this competition. Forty countries will be participating this year during the event to be held from April 16-18, in Bucharest, Romania. Kuwait is the first and the only team from the GCC to be participating in this

President Research at United Real Estate Group. They are all MBA students at the KMBS, and will graduate next year.

The aim of the challenge is to achieve the highest share price for the same company given to the teams in a simulated stock exchange. The teams have to maximize the share price of an imaginary company. Decisions will have to be made in the areas of market-

ensure a fair competition.

The winning team in the national GMC competition explained its achievement to its expertise in a variety of fields and backgrounds.

“The other competing teams were really good, but individually. We won the competition due to the strong teamwork and different backgrounds. I am working in the telecom business, Wafaa works in management and training, while

KUWAIT: Sameh Antour, Mohammed Abouzeid, Wafaa Salman and Prof. Jonathan Ajoku with the trophy and certificates of the national Global Management Challenge. event. Kuwait will be represented by the Kuwait Maastricht Business School (KMBS) team which won the national GMC 2012 and thus qualified for the international version.

The team comprised three members: Wafaa Nadim Salman, Training Manager and Professional Freelance Trainer, Sameh Sami Antoun, Senior Sales Manager, and Mohammed Adel Abouzeid, Vice

ing, sales, human resources, finance, supply chain, and production, just as in real life.

Six teams battled through to the national final round after competing among 12 teams in an intensive first round over five consecutive weeks. Teams entered on behalf of many leading companies and one university in Kuwait. The task given to the competitors was the same in all the countries to

Mohammed in finance and research,” Sameh Sami Antoun told the Kuwait Times.

Based on such a variety of specializations, the team divided the project tasks. “We were sharing our knowledge and work experiences in this competition to make the right decisions to maximize the share price of the imaginary company. Then we put the data to the simulator to see the effect of our

decisions on the company. I was in charge of finance, Wafaa was responsible for marketing and HR, while Sameh was in charge of production and supply chain,” noted Mohammed Adel Abouzeid.

The team members struggled to find the right teammates in the beginning. “In the beginning, I was working with different teams and I switched teams many times, but finally I found it to be the right team and we are working in harmony. We star ted working on assignments together, and so we decided to participate in the GMC as a team. Each of us is performing his role and we all together are complimenting each other. We realized that we are covering different areas and we can compete against other teams,” stressed Wafaa Nadim Salman.

Professor Jonathan Ajoku from the KMBS praised the team’s achievement in the national GMC competition and wished them luck in Romania. “This team made us proud, and their achievement coincides with the 10th anniversary of establishing KMBS. This achievement reflects the impact of the MBA program they study at the KMBS, as they applied what they learnt in a year and a half,” he pointed out.

This competition is about taking strategic decisions that can affect the performance of any company.

“Teamwork is the most important and so is the communication among its members. We apply the lessons learnt during MBA studies and will then apply these in Romania. We learnt empathy by working with others and this made us successful,” said Sameh.

Wafaa also said that their study and teamwork expanded her experience, and she learnt new things from different fields such as finance.

Mohammed added that this competition will test their capabilities to run a company as per the decisions they will be making.

Kites flown over Messilah Beach

KUWAIT: Eighty-one kites, depicting the Kuwaiti leadership and national historical figures, were flown over Messilah Beach yesterday as part of the “For you Kuwait we hoist the flags” festival.

Head of the Kuwaiti kites team Ammar BuHamad told KUNA that the kites, which varied in sizes and shapes, were flown as a gesture of loyalty to this land and its leadership.

He indicated that the cost of the kites varied from KD 250-3,000 with some the size also varying from three meters to 50 long.

Bu-Hamad said that the team, founded in the 1970s, would partake in the upcoming National Day and Liberation Anniversary celebrations on

Feb 25-26. Meanwhile, the eighth “In love with Kuwait” festival began here yesterday with a exhibition featuring the historic Royal British airforce jet-fighter the “Spitfire.”

Acting undersecretary for the Ministry of Information Mohammad Al-Awash opened the event on part of Minster of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.

Al-Awash said that the national celebrations, which began on January 29th with the seventh Anniversary of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah taking the constitutional oath, would meet its zenth with the approaching February 25-26 where Kuwaitis

celebrate the National Day and Liberation Anniversary.

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti official lauded the opening show of the current festival, noting that the Spitfire jet illustrious history which dates back to the 1940s showcased Kuwait’s long commitment to building bridges with other nations.

The Spitfire, owned by the late 10th Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was given as a present to the British Royal air-force.

On his part, British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker lauded the exhibition, stressing that it showcased the long and strong friendship bet ween the people of Kuwait and Britain. — KUNA

Mexico, Kuwait sign investments agreement MEXICO CITY: The State of Kuwait and the United Mexican States have signed an agreement for boosting and protecting investments as part of an approach for expanding bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

The accord was signed, on behalf of the Kuwaiti Government, by the ambassador to the United Mexican States, Samih Johar Hayat, and Mexican Minister of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villareal.

Ambassador Hayat said on the occasion that the agreement constituted a crucial step on path of boosting economic, commercial and investment cooperation, as well as the distinctive political ties, between the two countries. Other cooperation accords would be hammered out, in the near future, in the cultural, health and educational sectors, he disclosed.

Hayat added that the agreement was aimed at stimulating and protecting investments, luring Kuwaiti and Mexican companies to launch business in the two countries and drawing up economic partnership between the private and public sectors of Mexico and Kuwait. He also indicated that, within framework of the mutual understanding, relevant authorities would provide necessary insurance to the companies.

Expressing satisfaction at taking this stride on the path of enhancing the Mexican-Kuwaiti ties, Hayat affirmed that the accord was result of sincere desire of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and governments of the two countries to promote the bilateral relations at various levels.

For his part, Villareal affirmed depth of the friendly ties bounding

Kuwait and Mexico, praised level of the relations, reached in the past two years following reciprocal opening of embassies of the two states.

This agreement, the first to be worked out by Mexico with a Muslim or Arab country, will pave way for entrepreneurs to launch businesses in the two countries, without facing any obstacles. He also hailed efforts of officials of the two countries for strengthening the bilateral ties.

The Mexican-Kuwaiti concord, that was signed at headquarters of the Mexican Ministry of Economy with attendance of senior officials from the two sides, was designed to be follow-up to previous accords related to averting double taxation and evasion of fees.

In some of its parts, it stipulates encouraging and protecting all types of assets, rights, properties such as rents, mortgages, companies, stocks,

bonds, financial loans and intellectual rights. It addresses various topics and legal aspects, such as issuance of permits for Kuwaiti entrepreneurs, facilitating launch of Kuwaiti businesses, protection of such enterprises against eventual protective measures, namely nationalization and expropriation. In such eventualities, it ensures full compensation for any damage incurred by the Kuwaiti investors.

In other sections, it tackles methods of resolving disputes by resorting to international arbitration.

I t is valid for 10 years, to be renewed automatically for another 10-year mandate, whereby providing the investor long-term stability and insurance. This agreement is due to be referred to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Kuwait and the Mexican Senate for endorsement.—KUNA

NBK’s Hasala continues tour around Kuwait KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) continues its social activity on Instagram “Hasala around Kuwait”, posting the best photos of NBK’s money box (Hasala) taken by fans in Kuwait, on the occasion of Kuwait’s independence and the anniversary of liberation.

The concept behind this social activity is to interact with fans and introduce different touristic and old places in Kuwait. NBK Hasala visited Kuwait Towers and many other places that will be shared with the fans on Instagram during the entire month of February.

NBK’s Hasala attracted thousands of people since last Ramadan’s TV commercial. Many photos have been posted and

shared by followers. Participants can send their photos to social@nbk.com or to NBK official page on Instagram @NBKPage .

NBK greatly values social media as an easy mean of communicating with customers and also building a strong and lasting relationship. NBK is among the first regional banks to establish a strong social media presence, with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Foursquare and Google + pages.

For more information regarding banking transactions, events and competitions check out National Bank of Kuwait official facebook page NBK - Official Page or follow NBK on Twitter @NBKPage, on Instagram @NBKPage, Facebook on NBKPage and on You Tube on NBKMedia.

Study to ensure uniformity in govt salaries KUWAIT: Government sources revealed that a study to ensure uniformity in the salaries of the state employees in Kuwait will be ready latest by the month of June.

Sources said that the study will explain how it will serve the interests of justice if uniform salary systems are implemented by all ministries. The steps will include unifying the basic salaries in respect to the grade, and payment of same level of allowances to those with similar specializations as far as the nature of work was concerned.

One aim will also be to improve the basic salaries for lower grade employees, as citizen of grade 6 and 7 comprise a

majority among the employees.

Source added that there will also be a formula for calculating the percentage of allowances from lower to higher levels of staff or in case of allowances meant to compensate for any specializations to serve the needs of the state in respect of certain technical expertise.

Responding to a question about whether increment to some employees translates into a reduction of others’ salaries, the sources said in such cases, all decisions are implemented in such a way as to favour any employee but in no way can any employee suffer a reduction in salary.

KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait sponsored a cultural celebration organized by the Faculty of Law in the Kuwait University to celebrate the National holidays. The step comes as part of the CBK’s Kuwait Heritage Campaign which is ongoing until the end of the month.

Unprecedented rise in real estate prices KUWAIT: The market database for the real estate sector shows an unprecedented rise in the prices of residential real estate, a specialized economic report said yesterday.

The repor t, by AlShall Economic Consultants, pointed out that the average price per square meter in selected residential areas in the six governorates, shows that there is a noticeable rise in residential real estate prices from 2000 until at least 2011.

“The average price per square meter went up by about 252.3 percent (2.5 times) in current price. When adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the rise becomes about 137.7 percent (1.4 times), which is a substantial rise over 11 years,” reads the report, based on AlShall database showing the historical trend of the real estate average prices during the period from 1981 to 2011.

The date also showed that the rise in real estate prices was not confined to residential real estate.

“Investment and commercial real estate likewise witnessed a rise from 2001 until 2007. They rose by about 407.4 percent for investment real estate

and about 246.8 percent for commercial real estate. If we adjust for inflation, the rise becomes about 334.4 percent and about 197 percent, respectively, which are high rates over six years only.”

Alshall pointed that this unprecedented hike in real estate prices might be driven by understandable demand factors.

“However, this does not negate the possibility that the rise comes from limited supply, i.e. the state’s monopoly of land. The rise in the price of land and properties seriously affects the competitiveness of the economy and is very costly to public finance,” added the report.

With regard to the Kuwait Stock Exchange, AlShall noted that the performance of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) for the last week was mixed, where all the indices showed a decrease, while the general index showed an increase.

“AlShall Index (value weighted) closed at 448.1 points at the closing of last Thursday, showing an increase of about 1.4 points or about 0.3 percent, and an increase of 9.9 points or about 2.3 percent compared to the end of 2012. “ — KUNA

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LOCAL

No plans to increase fees for govt services Al-Shamali clarifies comments KUWAIT: Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali said that the government has currently no plans to increase the fees for services provided by the state, nor has it ever examined the possibility for such a move. Al-Shamali was quoted by local press on Friday as talking about measures that could be undertaken to diversify the sources of income to avoid a predicted deficit in the state’s budget.

He was responding to a question by MP Ahmad Lari in this regard.

“I am truly taken aback by the uproar triggered by my response to a parliamentary question inquiring about a hypothetical budget deficit caused by drop in oil prices or global demand,” the minister told Al-Rai on Friday.

Al-Shamali, who is also a deputy prime minister, further questioned the “true intentions behind leaking my response to the media.” “Issues discussed

during meetings of parliamentary committees regarding technical matters should remain within the framework of these committees,” he said.

In his response, Al-Shamali had recommended “following policies that result in increasing incomes and reducing spending” as a solution to avoid a budget deficit scenario, suggesting methods that included “reconsidering the fees the state collects for public services” as well as the public sector’s payroll.

“Even if we wanted to talk about reconsidering the prices of services as a hypothetical solution, such a step cannot be taken by the executive authority alone because there is a law that bans increasing prices of services without an approval from the parliament,” AlShamali clarified.

The news had elicited negative reactions from lawmakers, which put further

pressure on Al-Shamali who was already under fire given his stance against proposals to write-off interests on citizens’ bank loans. In that regard, Al-Qabas reported yesterday quoting parliamentary insiders who indicated that there were attempts on to pass a law calling upon the government to purchase the interest, and those pursuing such a move were trying to leverage the pressure that has been built on the government in the wake of a grilling motion filed against Al-Shamali by MP Nawaf AlFuzai. The government has a majority support in the parliament which enables it to ensure passage of a request to delay the debate on the grilling, just as it has ensured with regards to interpellations filed against Minister of Communications Salem Al-Othaina and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad AlHmoud Al-Sabah. But the sources who

spoke on the condition of anonymity did not rule out the possibility that lawmakers could use the grilling as an opportunity to “press the government” into passing a draft law which the parliament had proposed for dropping the interests accrued on loans.

In a related comment, MP Mohammad Al-Jabri told Al-Jarida on Friday that “the parliament agreed to postpone the debate on grillings while at the same time wants that the issues raised by the said motions be probed.”

Al-Jabri further suggested that the parliament is going to approve delaying a debate on Al-Shamali’s grilling as well as an interpellation filed by MPs Al-Fuzai and Saadoun Al-Otaibi against Oil Minister Hani Husain, which are scheduled to be debated on March 5, “in addition to any other grilling filed during the current parliamentary term.”

Kuwait overseas diplomatic missions mark national days CAPITALS: The Consulate General of Kuwait in Milan held a reception at the luxurious Hotel Principe di Savoia on Friday evening on the occasion of Kuwait’s 52nd National day, 22nd liberation day, and the seventh anniversary of His Highness the Amir’s assumption of power.

President of Malta George Abela, along with the state’s top officials, attended a celebratory reception held at Kuwait’s Embassy on the occasion of the gulf country’s 52nd National Day, 22nd Liberation Day and seventh anniversary of His Highness the Amir’s Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah’s assumption to power.

Ambassador Faisal Sulaiman Al-Musaileem, and his wife, received the Maltese President, his successor Edward Fenech Adami, Speaker of the House of Representatives Michael Frendo and other members of the government at the event which was held late Friday.

Ambassadors, heads of diplomatic corps, businessmen, Kuwaiti students, journalist and media figures also attended the celebration. The Kuwait envoy extended, through KUNA, his National Holidays greetings to the Kuwaiti leadership and people. He wished an evermore prosperity and security to the homeland. He expressed his pride to the achievements accomplished in the country under the directives of His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Al-Musaileem thanked the Maltese President on being part of Kuwait’s national celebrations which was an indicator of the strong ties that hold the two countries together.

President Abela, meanwhile, lauded the bilateral ties and stressed the importance of stretching cooperation to many other fields. Consul General for Milan and North Italy Sami Abdulaziz Al-Hamad and members of Kuwait’s diplomatic mission welcomed a large number of well-wishers including senior diplomats, public celebrities and provincial leaders in the northern Lombardy region.

Foremost among the senior guests were President of Milan Province Guido Podesta, Director of the European Commission’s Representative Office in Milan Roberto Santaniello, Commander of the Italian Navy Captain Francesco Macolino and Commander of the Italian Air Force Fortunato Finoli. Speaking to KUNA, Consul General Al-Hamad congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah as well as all Kuwaitis on the occasion.

“This’s celebrations of the national days gain additional significance from the fact that they coincide with the 50th anniversary of the country’s adoption of the constitution,” he noted.

As for the friendly relations between Kuwait and Italy, AlHamad said they grew steadily over the last years as seen in the growth of the bilateral trade and the increased senior-level visit exchanges thanks to the historic visit by HH the Amir to Italy in April 2010.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Embassy in Algiers held a similar reception where Algerian Minister of Commerce Mustafa Benbada commended “the quantum leaps” seen by Kuwait in various fields and by the bilateral ties in the recent years.

In a statement to KUNA on the fringe of the reception, the minister highlighted the importance of cooperation between the two sisterly countries, saying the bilateral ties grow steadily and rapidly under the wise leadership of Algeria President Abdulaziz Bouteflika and HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Benbada voiced best wishes for the Kuwaiti leaders and people on this occasion. In Yerevan, Kuwait Ambassador to Armenia Bassam Mohammad Al-Qabandi hosted a reception with senior government officials, politicians, diplomats, business leaders, intellectuals and public celebrities attending.

Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian represented his government at the event. On the sidelines of the celebration, Kuwait Embassy organized a photo gallery, book fair on Kuwait and a gala featuring the country’s folklore, heritage and traditional dishes. The celebration is the second held by the embassy which was founded in December, 2011.

In Libreville, capital city of Gabon, Kuwait embassy organized a reception that gathered a large number of l senior government officials, politicians, business leaders, intellectuals, public celebrities, and representatives of the Arab and other diplomatic missions in the west central Africa country.

Parliament to finalize loans issue in March KUWAIT: The controversial loans issue will be amongst top priority items to be discussed at the upcoming session for parliament next month and hopefully a just solution would be found at hand, said Speaker of the National Assembly Ali Al-Rashed here yesterday.

Speaking to the press, the Speaker indicated that the details of the solution for the loans issue would be revealed soon, adding that the solution would hopefully meet the demands of all parties concerned.

In regards to some MPs demands for dissolving the parliament, Al-Rashed said that such statements reflected the viewpoint of those who uttered it and indicated that the parliament consisted of 49 other MPs who might share this opinion.

The Parliament would continue to convene till the next elections in 2016, said Al-Rashed, stressing that the current parliament has focused on meeting the goals of development in the country.

Meanwhile, as some MPs are planning to hold a meeting after the national holidays to discuss the barrage of grilling, either already submitted or expected, as also their effect on the legislative business of the house, some sources criticized the government continuously buckling before those who comprised a majority in the annulled house.

While the MPs will be discussing how parties considered supporters of certain MPs and ministers in creating such crises in this assembly will act, sources also criticized the way former members were being allowed to interfere in state administration, encourage strikes and influence employees even as the government has maintained complete silence.

The sources said such non-action in the part of the government has led to moves to resume organizing sit-ins and strikes, and it was high time the government intervened to prevent any developments that may affect citizens’ interests. They said that serious steps must be taken to prevent repetition of any violations.

Sources said the MPs were planning to come up with several questions about this issue, while MP Khalil Al-Salah said certain individuals in the government wanted to whip up problems with the Assembly.

Al-Saleh said certain elements wanted to goad the government towards escalating problems with the Assembly even when the Assembly was extending its hand of cooperation. He warned HH The Prime Minister against the policy of appeasing opponents devoid of any merit.

He said the people were convinced that if the development agenda fails, the blame will lie squarely with the government because it has remained the common factor throughout all the previous assemblies. He said the current house was being seen as an outstanding legislative body as far as issuing laws was concerned. He said the government still has time to rectify its mistakes and do some course correction.

MP Mohammad Al-Jabri said the conspiracy that he warned about was actually started by some MPs who wanted to ensure the ouster of the National Assembly “but this is outside their reach.”

He said the Assembly will continue to pass important popular laws with as much efficiency and speed, adding that the aim behind postponing a debate on the grillings was to give the government a chance to cooperate with the Assembly to achieve reforms and pass important laws as HH the Amir instructed.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LOCAL Local Spotlight

kuwait digest

The year of the SMEs

Is it feasible to clone Iranian model in Egypt?

By Dr Mohammed M.Hasanen

By Muna Al-Fuzai

I

muna@kuwaittimes.net

T

his is the year of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Kuwaiti government and the National Assembly have been working closely on this issue.

In fact, the government has been eagerly trying to encourage the SMEs as a way to shift the Kuwaiti youth towards the private sector instead of preferring to work in government jobs. It is encouraging them to start their own business ventures. It is an ambitious project and requires many legal measures and administrative support to make it a reality. However, it is a cause worth pursuing. The parliament has approved a policy to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in its first and second readings. The decision has been referred to the government for approval and implementation. MP Safa AlHashim stated that the law has come after years-long wait and, if passed, it will open a way of hope for the youth.

She said the law was an endorsement of the call given by HH the Amir about transforming Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub because Kuwait has a single source of revenue, the oil. She suggested that the responsibility for administering this fund should lie with the Savings and Credit Bank and not with the ministerial administration so as to avoid bureaucracy and long administrative process.

Now, the National Assembly has given its nod and granted all necessary approvals in two readings without facing any opposition, unlike the previous parliament.

A total of KD 2 billion capital is to be allocated for the fund to achieve its objectives. The law also clearly ordained that the fund will finance up to a maximum of 80 % of the enterprise and the applicant will bear the remaining 20 percent. That, I believe, will encourage many young Kuwaitis to be part of the project. The SMEs sector is a great opportunity for young Kuwaitis to become self-dependent.

The Small and Medium Enterprises will include various sectors such as industrial, business, handicraft, services, intellectual activities and many other economic projects that can provide jobs to Kuwaiti citizens and give them the opportunity to explore new businesses in their country and the region.

SMEs usually help any country’s economy but I doubt if that is the reason here since Kuwait is already rich.

However, these may help the Kuwaiti youth in seeking new businesses to help them become business leaders in the future. I do believe that the youth will surely need the support of the experts especially when they are starting their new business.

Worldwide, SMEs have been widely successful, including in this region, especially in the UAE and Bahrain. The law governing the SMEs also included farming though I cannot understand how this will work out in the era of technology unless someone wants to have a cow farm in the middle of the desert.

Also, it is important how the applicants are filtered, and this is one area that needs serious consideration.

The SMEs have finally come to life and now we need to see how implementation happens. Hopefully, the bureaucracy and the routine governmental lethargy will not kill the project.

kuwait digest

Role of social networks

By Mustafa Al-Sarraf

kuwait digest

Why Kuwaitis are angry?

By Aziza Al-Mufarej

F

aisal Al-Yahya wondered at the end of a seminar of being naive and do not want a change in their staabout “ Why Kuwaitis are angry?” and tus since they are afraid of new challenges and think Abdelmohsen Juma answered through a col- “why pick up a headache.” They are like those umn published in “Aljarida” newspaper, saying, “...and I described by Almighty Allah as “We found our fathers wonder why are they angr y when the Muslim following a certain path and we are following them.”

Brotherhood has been in control of the university for Al-Shaheen concluded his column saying Islam as over 30 years and has also issued the segregation law; a complete way of life will beat, as it always did, every their scholars are placed across all newspaper offices human condition that comes out of self indulgence, and satellite channels; the diwans of successive prime stubbornness, or because people are led astray such ministers are stuffed with advisors loyal to the group; as by communism, capitalism or dictatorship. Muslims the ‘awakening’ and hijab is dominant; the oil sector is are longing to live under the shade of the heavenly being led by the Brotherhood and Islamic banks are shareeah, and what Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) every where. Still, I want to know the truth as to why bestowed, and what had been renewed by Muslims Kuwaitis and Hadasis are angry?” over the years, and he is victorious regardless of what Another article published in Al Anbaa on Jan 30, they spend, plan, and lie to stop it. had Hadasist Usama Al-Shaheen praising their There is no doubt that Allah will always win, but do founder. He said Hasan Althe Brotherhood leaders Banna presented an idea limit Islam to themselves There is no doubt that Allah will and consider the rest of that became a clarion call and led to an Islamic awak- always win, but do the Brotherhood the Muslim nations as ening. So, the saying of leaders limit Islam to themselves and conspirators against it?

Prophet Mohammad consider the rest of the Muslim nations Why did Usama ignore (PBUH) that says ‘Allah that the group in Egypt as conspirators against it? Why did could not have come to sends a man for the Muslim nation every 100 years to Usama ignore that the group in Egypt rule until it shook hands renew its religion’ applies to could not have come to rule until it with the American impethem. He added that Al- shook hands with the American imperi- rialists and its crony, Banna brought the Islam of Why does he not alists and its crony, Israel. Why does he Israel.

Muslims out of mosques, admit that the Muslim schools, weddings and not admit that the Muslim Brotherhood Brotherhood group is no funerals, and made it avail- group is no better than others? better than others? Also, able in parliaments, univerthere is nothing wrong in sities, markets, literar y Kuwaitis preserving their meetings and battle field. As for the animosity against stability and prosperity. It is enough for people to see the Brotherhood, Al-Shaeen said there were four rea- what did the movements in Egypt, Tunis and Syria led sons for it: tyrant regimes, imperialist countries, tradi- to and deduce that it was not worth it. In fact, tional leaderships and simple people.

Kuwaitis are comfortable with their life and do not Speaking about the imperialist countries he said want any headache. They are not ready for a movethey need to tranquilize people so that they remain ment like this because they do not want to be stuck happy with little power and thus cannot resist occu- with a group like his. Kuwaitis will keep on praying to pation. That is why they do not execute a traitor. Allah to ensure that their rulers remain unchanged, However, as far as free Islam was concerned, this is and that everything thus remains in their own hands. what worries them no end.

No wonder, the writer Abdelmohsen Juma wondered As for the simple people, they are nice to the point “Why are you angry?” —Al-Watan

T

he human mind continues to create, discover and invent because the Creator made it to be that way. Humans invented the knife as a tool to help them with the requirements of their daily life.

However, some mischievous people use it for killing.

And since there are always some people like that, rules and restrictions are needed to regulate their behavior even if it meant limiting the freedoms of other people. This is a sacrifice people make in order to prevent chaos and ensure the security and stability of their society.

The internet has entered every home, and is now accessible to everyone. However, not all people are equal. There are people who are intellectual and rational, and then there are others who are ignorant, psychopaths, narrow-minded and also intelligence agents. Everyone can use Twitter, YouTube and other social networks where we often come across things that are either offensive or destructive to the mind and rational thinking.

The mischievous elements also access these forums which they use to spread venom among the people, especially the younger lot who resort to social networks to quench their thirst for knowledge.

I am not calling for blocking access to any social network because the creativity of the human mind ordained by God Almighty should never be blocked.

However, we need to employ caution in using these services. There should be regulations to protect young people from the plots of erratic individuals and intelligence agents who lack the courage to come out in the open and announce their opinions, and therefore use such means to stay away from the legitimate control to which the press and the larger media subjects themselves.

It is important to differentiate between positive expression of opinion and that which is meant to destructively impact young people’s minds.

Legislating laws is the society’s tool to protect itself and its members. Those who violate the law deserve no mercy because they would otherwise be committing a crime against the country. Social networks should be used for the benefit of the society, and freedom ends when it starts violating the freedoms and rights of others. —Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Don’t do this to yourself

By Dr Hassan Abbas

T

here are unconfirmed reports about Minister of worldwide in urban development, infrastructure, city Education Dr Nayef Al-Hajraf reportedly plan- planning and housing distribution? ning to approve degrees issued by universities Is it not enough that Kuwait spends the most on in the Philippines and India which are under a cloud education, yet keeps scoring worse results in internaof suspicions of forgery. If these rumors turn out to be tional tests year after year? true, you can rest assure that the level of education in Is it not enough that Kuwait spends the most on Kuwait will never improve. healthcare, yet the sick in the country know the Our advice to the Cromwell Hospital, the Minister is: Do not do it, Do not do it, doctor, because you London Clinic and Mayo doctor, because you must Clinic more than they do not bear the blame for the must not bear the blame for the Kuwait’s public hospitals? already deteriorated situa- already deteriorated situation in the Is it not enough that tion in the country as far country as far education is concerned. Kuwait where oil was diseducation is concerned. covered a hundred years Kuwait already has more Kuwait already has more than enough ago, has been exporting oil than enough problems and problems and there is certainly no since 1964 and is ranked there is certainly no need need for more. Do not allow yourself sixth globally in oil for more. Do not allow reserves, yet still needs the yourself to become that to become that which would be men- help of oil experts from which would be men- tioned in history books as a “former non-oil producing countioned in history books as a minister” about which either there will tries? “former minister ” about Is it not enough that which either there will be be no further details given or who will Kuwait has many citizens no further details given or be listed among those known for with degrees from the who will be listed among worst performances.

Philippines and India, but those known for worst perwho at the same time regisformances. ter themselves as mentally The story behind these faulty degrees is not a disabled in order to avail of the government support secret, so do not allow yourself to become another allowances to the exclusion of people with actual disname in a long list of people who are either involved abilities? Is it not enough that Kuwaitis are complainin forgery or allowed it to happen. ing today despite the wealth and budget surplus Is it not enough that Kuwait has the largest num- more than they did during the days of Invasion? Do ber of engineers, yet is ranked among the lowest not do this to yourself, Dr. Al-Hajraf.—Al-Rai

n a previous article “Historical Opportunity for Egyptian Parties,” published here on Jan 23, 2012, I discussed the future political system in Egypt after the Jan 25 Revolution from the diverse perspectives of major political forces. I argued that those vying to control the government would each apply a different model, if successful. I contended that the political Islamic groups would seek to copy the Iranian political system and that liberal parties would follow the philosophy of the Turkish model.

The former is becoming the political reality.

Ever since the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) ensconced itself in the presidential palace in July 2012, it has been striving to achieve its political goals. For many observers, the Guidance Bureau the most authoritative level in the MB’s political hierarchy - has turned out to be the major decision making centre in Egypt. MB leaders have started to control public media and key high ranking government positions.

The new constitution, designed mainly by political Islamic groups, has been ratified overnight. The constitution framers were keen to introduce changes to the governmental structure in order to eliminate the influence of some individuals and opposing groups, or at least minimizing their power. These changes include, but are not limited to, the restrictions on the powers of the Constitutional Court, the judicial branch, and the media.

A few days ago, the warm reception given to the Iranian President in Cairo and the secret visit of the Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to Egypt raised red flags in the minds of many Egyptians. The political scene, as well as the violent anger in many major cities, shows the disagreement of many segments of the society and their refusal to accept such policies and changes. People are openly criticizing MB plans in public and protesting vociferously against the MB and its Guidance Bureau. This brewing antagonism is of both regional and global significance.

Iran is an important regional power and should not be ignored. Development of appropriate diplomatic relations and communication channels between Egypt and Iran might be necessary for both national and regional interests. However, simply cloning the Iranian political system is definitely not appropriate for modern Egypt. Wholesale import of pre-decided political structures rarely works.

Egypt and Iran are similar in many respects: they are the two most populated and influential countries in the Middle East. Each has witnessed decades of political and social corruption that culminated in popular revolution against the incumbent regimes.

On the other hand, there are significant differences between them, differences that should be given deep thought before taking further steps toward emulating the Iranian political system in Egypt.

The most important distinction is that the Egyptian revolution has had no charismatic leader till now; this was not the case in Iran. Ayat Allah Khomeini was the leader of the Islamic Iranian Revolution. Khomeini was not just a spiritual leader, but also a key theoretician for the Iranian revolution.

He designed a unique political system in which spiritual authority resides in him as the Supreme Guide, elected by the eighty members of the Assembly of Experts, a council composed of Iran’s leading religious authorities.

According to the Iranian constitution, the supreme leader - the highest power in the land has an almost free hand in appointing the head of the judiciary, military leaders, the head of radio and TV, and even Friday prayer leaders.

In the case of the Egyptian revolution, the absence of charismatic leadership has led to greater fragmentation of its political forces and decision making processes than in the Iranian case.

The liberal and the Islamic blocs have no acceptable leader capable of uniting the opposing factions under one strategy.

Moreover, each of these factions is divided into groups with different goals and strategies. The inter- and intra-party divisions and the use of the streets as platforms to promote their ideologies have led to more confrontation and violence. As a result, the economy, investment, and tourism have been harshly and negatively affected, further complicating effective political management of the state. However, the Iranian revolution was not characterized by these elements.

Economically, oil revenues helped the post-revolution regime in Iran to get through the transition period smoothly, facilitating greater popular support. This is one important reason that a clone of the Iranian political model in Egypt is unlikely to succeed.

The military has, does, and will continue to play a key role in Egyptian politics. The army has an honourable place in Egyptian history. Though it has been withdrawn from the political scene since the president was elected in July 2012, the people look up to it as the last resort if MB fails to lead the country to safer shores.

The army leaders would not accept what happened in Iran after the revolution, when Khomeini ordered the execution of many generals and exiled others. Moreover, they will stand firm against the founding of an Egyptian equivalent of the Iranian revolutionary guard. Establishment of loyal military corps is likely to result in the unfettered formation of militias. Other political forces will find that they are able to form one and this would easily lead to a new civil war, a situation that would have been easily quash in a post-revolutionary Iran with relatively economic, political, and military stability. It would turn out to be another reason that a clone of the Iranian model is not Feasible in Egypt. May God protect and bless Egypt.

(The author is the Assistant Professor for political science at the Gulf University for Science and Technology.)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LOCAL

BBF presents 18th Excellence Awards KUWAIT: The British Business Forum (BBF), the voice of the British business community in Kuwait, held its 18th Annual BBF Excellence Awards evening in a packed venue at the Holiday Inn Salmiya recently. This event is the highlight of the BBF business year, recognising and rewarding business people in the private and public sector for their contribution to British business in 2012.

The awards were presented by the Alderman Roger Gifford, Lord Mayor of the City of London who took the opportunity to announce a new Mansion House scholarship to be made available to Kuwaiti citizens to enable them gain experience in the finance sector in the world’s financial capital, the City of London. The award presentations were made in the presence of the British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker and Chairman of the BBF, Paul McKay. In his opening speech, Paul McKay made reference to the long history of British international business successes, reflecting on their impact on everyday life and language. McKay thanked the organisers and awards committee for their hard work and commitment in preparing for the event, before voicing the BBF’s gratitude to the event’s sponsors; Wataniya Telecom, Gulf Bank, MENA Holdings and BECS, for their contribution and support, without which the gala event could not have taken place.

This year the top award, the Excellence Award, went to AMEC for their outstanding contribution to British business during 2012. AMEC won several major contracts on behalf of UK industry, notably the environmental remediation services contract and the project management contract for the Fourth Refinery, as well as gaining extensions to existing contracts with KOC and KNPC. As a result of these successes, AMEC’s Kuwait-based personnel will increase from 350 to over 1,000 within 18 months, supporting an annual revenue stream of GBP75 million at peak. The Excellence Award was presented to Alan Armstrong, AMEC’s Kuwait Operations Director on behalf of the company in light of his inspirational leadership, steerage of the corporate vessel and continued commitment to high quality service delivery, without compromising the values of safety, people and the wider business community within the host market. AMEC is a world-leading FTSE-100 engineering, project management and consultancy services company with 29,000 employees worldwide.

The Award of Merit was presented to Natalia Vakulenko of Jumbo Tour and Travel Company WLL for her services in

KUWAIT: The British Business Forum Annual Excellence Awards presentation programme in progress. supporting trade workshops by the British Embassy, as recognised by governmental body Visit Britain. Natalia Vakulenko represented Jumbo Travel actively last year and supported several trade workshops, including Destination Britain and Ireland (DEBI) at the British Embassy in Kuwait. Visit Britain recognised the support extended by Jumbo Tour and Travel, and singled out Natalia for her particular contribution. Natalia is a business development manager with a background in both the hotel and travel trade. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to John Lewinton for his decades of support and service to British business in Kuwait across a number of sectors. John came to Kuwait in 1983 with the ambition of doing a two-year contract “to get Gulf experience on my CV”. After almost 30 years, he is still enjoying his life here. Over the years, John has taken key roles in both Kuwaiti and British companies in Kuwait. Notably, John has developed the systems and processes at several Kuwaiti firms, enabling them to gain ISO 9000 accredi-

tation, including the first Kuwaiti firm to gain such accreditation. Like many among the international community at the time, John spent over four months in hiding from the Iraqi invaders, before assisting the Kuwaitis’ “Free Kuwait Campaign” after being evacuated to London. One of John’s homemade videos of Iraqi looting became a key part of that campaign.

A Certificate of Excellence was awarded to Greham Raynham of Bond Bryan Architects, for having the commercial courage and conviction as a UK SME to establish its operations here in Kuwait as the hub for the Gulf region. Bond Bryan Architects are a UK-based Architectural practice which has established a studio in Kuwait to develop business opportunities in the MENA region. Bond Bryan Architects have since inception over 20 years ago grown to become a UK top 50 architectural practice with over 80 professional, technical and support staff operating from offices in Sheffield, Westerham and Kuwait. Greham is responsible for MENA operations and is based in Kuwait.

A Certificate of Excellence was awarded to Mary Eckersall of Kuwait English School (KES), for her contribution to British style education whilst serving in Kuwait, ensuring students receive every opportunity to successfully complete their studies in UK universities. Mary took up her role at KES in 2002, and her passion to facilitate students of KES to take up places at British universities is unflagging. Mary has formed excellent links with universities and currently, KES students are represented at over twenty leading UK universities including Oxford, King’s College, University College London and Imperial College London.

A Certificate of Excellence was awarded to Emily Naylor of Ernst and Young, for taking the initiative as a young businesswoman to come to Kuwait early in her working life and establish herself successfully here. Emily first came to Kuwait in December 2009 to work for Ernst & Young, shortly after completing her Masters degree in Human Resource Management at Durham University. At Ernst & Young, Emily is part of the People

& Organization team which provides Human Resources consulting services to clients within the public and private sectors across the MENA region. Having completed three years with the firm, Emily has recently been offered an inhouse scholarship to join the UK office for a period of three months.

A Certificate of Excellence was awarded to Alghanim Travel for support to UK business over the last 60 years, particularly British Airways, as exemplified by an Excellence in Partnership Award from British Airways in 2012. Alghanim Travel has shown dedication and commitment to both British Airways and its customers, including recognized corporate clients such as AMEC, the British Council and the British community in Kuwait. Alghanim Travel is the oldest and leading General Sales Agent and Retail Travel Agency in Kuwait and has been the General Sales Agent for British Airways since 1948. The Certificate was presented to General Manager Mr Zaid Al-Kubaizi on behalf of the firm.

In addition to the formal awards, a

Special Mention was made to Gula Al Sharafi at UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) for excelling at her role as a commercial officer where Gula has, over a period of more than 13 years, represented the interests of UK business. In the healthcare sector, Gula has developed excellent contacts within Kuwait and earned the confidence and respect of UK companies working in the field.

The gala evening was a great success and this high profile promotion of the Award winners, together with an opportunity to promote British business success confirms the BBF Excellence Awards as the premier business awards ceremony of the year in Kuwait.

The Excellence Awards were launched in 1997 to celebrate individual successes of men and women in business not just from Britain but the wider Kuwaiti community for their achievements in British business excellence. It is open to organizations of any size and entries are received from those who feel they have made a discernible difference to enhance Britain’s business interests.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LOCAL

Vietnam-Kuwait ties witness tremendous progress

By Bui Quoc Trung Vietnamese Ambassador

I

would like to begin by saying that I am so delighted to be here in Kuwait in my second year as Ambassador of Vietnam and to witness the marking of Kuwait’s 52nd Anniversary of Independence, its 22nd Anniversary of Liberation and the 7th Anniversary of the assumption of power by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah. I am very pleased to take this opportunity to convey my best congratulations and heartfelt wishes to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlSabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlSabah, as well as all the Kuwaiti people for a successful celebration of these important anniversaries.

The year 2012 was one marked with a record profit highlighting the economic growth for Kuwait. It was undoubtedly a positive year for the country’s economy, with continued investment in infrastructural developments coming on the back of a record surplus. In addition, the general election of the National Assembly of Kuwait has successfully concluded recently. The new government headed

by Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah which has won wide support both from the Parliament and the Kuwaiti people sets out to further develop the economy of Kuwait with a focus on strengthening the country’s infrastructure, education, health and public services. National unity, sovereignty, peace and prosperity are undoubtedly under the spotlight, especially during this jubilant time.

Regarding Vietnam - Kuwait relations, this year marks the 37th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Kuwait. In nearly four decades, remarkable progress has been made in wide ranging exchanges and cooperation. Vietnam-Kuwait relations have witnessed tremendous progress, as we maintained exchanges of high-level visits, expanded fruitful cooperation in various areas, and strengthened coordination on international and regional issues. As a result, we not only brought about substantial benefits to our peoples, but also contributed to stability, peace and development in the world.

I am pleased to see that, with the support of the two governments, the bilateral economic and trade cooperation has made great progress. Currently Vietnam has become the investment destination

for Kuwait. Bilateral trade amounted to USD 737.8 million in 2012. In 2013, the bilateral economic and trade cooperation will definitely achieve more fruitful results as a partnership deal in the construction of the world-class Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Project with the capacity of 200 000 barrels per day was signed on 15 January this year. This is one of the largest foreign investment projects in Vietnam which requires an investment of 9 billion USD, with Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (25.1 percent), Kuwait Petroleum International (35.1 percent) and Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan Co. (35.1 percent) and Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (4.7 percent) as project investors. The construction of the refinery which would import crude oil supplied by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) is expected to complete in 2017. This project is strategically important for both Vietnam and Kuwait, meeting the growing demand for refined and petrochemical products for rapid industrialization and modernization of Vietnam and meeting the KPC long term strategy.

Since Vietnam and Kuwait are both developing countries and we respect and support each other on many political issues in the international arena. I am also very impressed by the most generous contribution given by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to countries in the region and beyond, including Vietnam which has been granted 123 million USD as loans for the rural infrastructure projects in poor areas. To seize the valuable opportunities to further develop the bilateral ties, Vietnam is looking forward to joining hands with Kuwait to strengthen the friendship between the two peoples, deepen bilateral exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, promoting the Vietnam-Kuwait relations to a new level. The successful signing of the Agreement on Visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports in October last year and the planning for the second meeting of the Joint Committee on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation between the two countries in the second half of this year are part of the programme to reach this aim.

I strongly believe that these multifaceted relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and peoples will be further advanced in the future and I will actively contribute to it during my tenure.

Happy holidays for ever yone in Kuwait on this special occasion!

KUWAIT: The military, air and naval attache at the Embassy of Russia, Col Valdimir Kurchenko hosted a reception at Holiday Inn on the occasion of Armed Forces Day over the weekend. High-ranking officials, diplomats, military attaches and media personalities attended the reception. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

School janitor at large for molesting child Worker killed in horrific mishap KUWAIT: A school janitor allegedly molested a child and then disappeared after the child’s father pressed molestation charges against him at the Salmiya police station. Officers were approached by a 38-year-old Arab man who accused the worker of harassing his son. The 10-year-old reportedly told his father that the suspect lured him to a secluded corner in the school where he kissed him repeatedly and touched him inappropriately before letting him go. The suspect also asked the child to drop by everyday for candy, according to the boy. The suspect was not found at his residence located within the school’s premises. Investigations were underway even as the suspect’s name was circulated across border outlets to prevent his escape.

Shuwaiba accident In a tragic work-place accident, a man died in Shuwaiba when a malfunctioning machine severed his body into two halves. Police rushed to a brick manufacturing factory where the victim was hit by a cutting blade while he was trying to push a jammed brick inside a cutting machine. The blade cut through the man above his abdomen. Crime scene investigators were called to the scene and a case was filed.

Dead infant Investigations are on to determine the circumstances behind the death of an infant whose body was found outside a Sulaibikhat mosque recently.

An ambulance accompanied by police rushed to the scene after a man made an emergency call reporting sighting of a baby wrapped in a blanket near the mosque’s front door. The child was pronounced dead and the body was taken to the forensic department.

Pedestrian robbed Police are looking to identify and arrest a male suspect accused of robbing a pedestrian at gunpoint after kidnapping him from Sharq. According

to his testimonies to police, the Indian man reported that he was stopped by a man dressed in the traditional dishdasha who identified himself as a police detective and made him sit in his car after checking his ID. The man stopped near an ATM in Hawally and forced the pedestrian to take out KD400 from his bank account at gun point. The suspect escaped after taking the money, the victim added. Investigations are ongoing.

Brother charged A man was charged with attempted murder after he went after his two younger brothers with a k nife in his hand at their home in AlRumaithiya. Police rushed to the scene following an emergency call in which the caller reported that his older brother was threatening him and his younger brother. The 28-year-old knife wielding Kuwaiti was overpowered and taken into custody. He was identified as someone with a history of drug related cases and will remain in custody pending legal procedures.

Foul play Investigations are on to determine the circumstances behind the killing of an unidentified female whose body was found recently in Fahaheel. Crime scene investigators found the upper part of a human skeleton buried in the desert a few days ago, and further investigations led to the discover y of the lower par t on Thursday morning, buried nine meters away.

Detectives have so far only been able to learn that the victim was a female and that there were signs of head trauma which suggested that the woman was murdered. Moreover, investigations indicated that the victim’s body was severed in half and buried in separate locations probably to cover up the crime.

Drug overdose A man was hospitalized in a critical condition

after he suffered complications from a drug overdose. The 19-year-old Kuwaiti fell unconscious at the dewaniya of his house in Shamiya before his friends called the police. The man was soon rushed to the Amiri Hospital where he was diagnosed with circulatory failure induced by a drug overdose as traces of drugs were found in his blood. A case was filed.

Rapists at large Farwaniya police are looking to arrest three male suspects accused of kidnapping and raping a woman in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh recently. In her statements to the police, the Nepalese woman said she was walking back home when three men pulled her into a building and took her to the rooftop where they assaulted her. Later, they also snatched her cell phone and escaped. The woman was escorted to the police station by patrol officers who arrived at the scene after someone made an emergency call upon finding her suffering a nervous breakdown.

Mall fight Two people were hospitalized following a fight reported recently in Souq Sharq. According to the police report, a scuffle broke out among five knife wielding young men after two of them engaged in an altercation for reasons that were yet to be ascertained. The two injured were rushed to the Amiri Hospital with stab wounds on the shoulder and back.

Search for bootlegger Investigations are on to track down a male suspect from whose car police recovered some alcoholic drinks recently in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

Patrol officers grew suspicious of a car parked in the middle of a square in the area. They called crime scene investigators to lift fingerprints from the car after finding 60 cardboard boxes full of bottles of liquor.

‘Kuwait independence paved way for Arab spring’

Kuwaiti students conclude sightseeing in Istanbul ISTANBUL: Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has concluded a recreational and educational trip to this ancient city for high-mark Kuwaiti students.

Some of the students expressed admiration for the fund aid to various Turkish sectors, such as water and sewage networks in the greater Istanbul region, noting that such support helps in promoting a good image about Kuwait.

KAFED has given Turkey KD 106 million worth of 12 loans for financing development schemes since 1979.

The tour was entertaining and useful, said Hashem Al-Husseini, noting that he was able to see first hand Kuwait’s contributions at the development and humane levels.

Hussein Al-Gallaf said he was relieved

to be involved in such recreational activity. For his part, Bader Al-Wuhaib said the trip enabled him to explore different culture and civilization.

On the last and sixth day of the tour, the Kuwaiti students visited popular bazaars in the ancient city.

They had previously explored ancient landmarks of this tourist city, namely old mosques and relics dating back to the 1299-1923 Ottoman empire. They had seen Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet in 1616. Student Faisal Al-Rakaf expressed in remarks to KUNA his deep admiration of the unique mosque.

The students expressed deep appreciation to KFAED for granting them the chance to visit Turkey and explore its marvels. —- KUNA

BEIRUT: Political writer of the Lebanese daily newspaper An-Nahar, Rajeh Al-Khouri, has praised Kuwait’s pioneering experience in practise of democracy and press freedoms, at the regional level, under leadership of HH the Amir.

Khouri, interviewed by KUNA on the occasion of Kuwait’s National Days, said coincidence of the Independence Day and the Liberation Day implies great value for the Kuwaitis and citizens of other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Kuwait, which gained independence in 1961, had set the stage for “what we could call the spring

of democracy in the Arab region,” said Khoury. Its democratic experience is promising, rendering Kuwait “a lighted minaret not only in the Gulf but also in Asia.” Affirming Kuwait’s tangible role at the Arab level, he lauded its aid for Lebanon, particularly under the leadership of HH the Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Elaborating, he alluded to Kuwait’s abundant support for other Arab countries, such as Iraq before its executed leader, Saddam Hussein, betrayed the Kuwaitis and invaded their homeland in 1990.

“The Kuwaiti’s sincere patriotism and the support-

ive Gulf stand and the international embracing of Kuwait’s independence led to speedy drive of the aggressors out of the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, Yousef Al-Huwaweik, the head of the Lebanese Press Club, said in a statement to KUNA that the Arabs are proud of Kuwait as it continues to prosper under leadership of HH the Amir. “Kuwait has proven to the world that it strongly adheres to democracy and freedom due to the sagacious leadership of His Highness the Amir,” he said, also praising the Kuwaiti press which has proven to be top competitor of the Lebanese media. — KUNA

Gulf Bank sponsors ‘Nabni Watan’ event at KU KUWAIT: Gulf Bank recently sponsored Kuwait University’s “Nabni Watan” event, which took place at the Kuwait University Shuwaikh Campus from Feb 17 to 21. The event was designed to provide young entrepreneurs in Kuwait with a strong business environment to achieve their ambitions.

Gulf Bank had a booth set up at the Shuwaikh Campus staffed by specialist advisors who were on hand to provide information about Gulf Bank’s redTM program, which is specifically designed for youth.

Najla Al-Essa, Executive Manager,

Consumer Banking Group at Gulf Bank said: “At Gulf Bank, we want to reach out to students and younger customers, whether through ongoing support or through superior services and attractive promotions which are specifically designed for their needs. We believe our redTM program is the best youth account in Kuwait, and our team at the Kuwait University’s Shuwaikh Campus was on hand to explain our services and benefits to students in person.”

Any student aged between 17 and 24 years can open a red(tm) account, which requires no deposit

and is available for both current and savings accounts with the highest interest rates. Student allowances are also deposited in students’ red(tm) accounts early the next morning following the initial time of deposit.

To find out more about the red(tm) program, students can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, contact the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance, or log on to www.e gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information about the red(tm) program and its benefits.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

Spanish king’s son-in-law makes court appearance

Palestinians hurt in clashes with settlers Page 8

Page 9

PORT SAID: Egyptian protesters wear masks depicting President Mohamed Morsi (left), head of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badi (center) and prime minister Hisham Kandil as they attend a public symbolic trial during an antigovernment demonstration in this canal city on Friday. — AFP

ElBaradei demands poll boycott Morsi to change election dates to soothe Christians CAIRO: A key opposition leader called yesterday for a boycott of upcoming parliamentary elections, saying he will not take part in a “sham democrac y ”. President Mohamed Morsi’s Islamist par ty, the Muslim Brotherhood, shot back that the opposition was running away from the challenge and wants power without contesting elections.

The exchange reflected a new escalation in political tensions that could spill into even wider strikes and protests ahead of a fourstage vote set to begin on April 28 and last until June. Morsi announced the elections late Thursday night. “(I) called for parliamentary election boycott in 2010 to expose sham democracy.

Today I repeat my call, will not be part of an act of deception,” Nobel laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, who leads the main opposition National Salvation Front, wrote on his Twitter account. He reiterated the opposition’s refrain that Morsi, who was elected in a free and fair vote, is acting like former autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak.

Almost immediately after ElBaradei’s call, rifts began appearing in the opposition which has struggled to unite since it led the successful uprising two years ago that ousted Mubarak. Some activists criticized the boy-

cott call, saying it would alienate the masses and allow the Islamists to maintain their domination of parliament. The Brotherhood has emerged from the uprising as Egypt’s most powerful political group, winning both parliamentary and presidential elections.

The deputy head of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, Essam El-Erian, responded to ElBaradei’s call on his Facebook page saying “running away from a popular test only means that some want to assume executive authority without a democratic mandate”. “We’ve never yet known them to face any election or serious test,” he said of the opposition leaders. In Egypt’s first free elections in 2011, the Brotherhood won nearly half of seats in parliament and the more conservative Salafis won a quarter, making the two Islamist groups dominant.

Liberal and secular parties have trailed significantly in all elections since Mubarak was toppled. Their outreach across Egypt, while growing, is still dwarfed by the Islamists’ well organized network of charities and programs that assist the poor. Nearly half of Egypt’s 85 million people live below the poverty line, subsisting on less than $2 per day.

Blogger and commentator Mahmoud Salem, a longtime activist who protested

against Mubarak and now opposes Morsi, said he disagreed with boycott calls because it offers no real alternative to the current political impasse. “Where’s ElBaradei’s party, its plan, its economic vision? Let’s say a boycott is the right answer. What will they do so that they can be competitive in the next election?” Salem said. He said that ElBaradei is also partly calling for a boycott of the vote because the opposition has been unable to win a significant number of seats. “In reality, it will end up as a parliament composed of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafis, or members of the ex-regime,” he said.

The opposition has accused Morsi and his Brotherhood backers of using election wins to monopolize power in tactics similar to the former regime. They accuse him of reneging on a promise to form an inclusive government representative of the Christian minority, women, and liberals. Elections under Mubarak’s three-decade rule were widely rigged and the chamber was dominated by members of his ruling party. The state-run MENA news agency reported that the president is studying changing the starting of date of elections following an outcry by Coptic Christians in Egypt. The first phase coincides with Palm Sunday and Easter for

Egypt’s minority Christians, who tend to travel during the holidays and have consistently voted against the Muslim Brotherhood.

ElBaradei’s opposition coalition, which was only formed late last year, had warned for weeks it could boycott parliamentary elections if certain conditions were not met first.

The NSF said it wants a real national dialogue that leads to the formation of a national unity government, changes to the new constitution and stability.

On the second anniversary of the Jan 25 uprising this year, anger spilled out onto the streets and violence again engulfed the nation. About 70 people died in a wave of protests, clashes and riots in the past four weeks, and more than half were killed in the city of Suez Canal city of Port Said alone. The lower house of parliament, which drafts laws in Egypt, was disbanded on June 14, 2012 after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that a third of the chamber’s members were elected illegally. The upcoming elections are aimed at reinstating the legislature.

Former lawmaker Mostafa Al-Naggar, a centrist who beat an ultraconservative, popular Salafi candidate in 2011, said calls for a boycott will be ineffective unless there is unity among the opposition. He said mixed mes-

sages will confuse voters and push people away. He wrote on Twitter that “the decision to boycott the next elections is extremely dangerous because it will clear the arena for the ruling party and its allies to dominate the legislative and executive authorities.” Morsi’s suppor ters say that delaying elections, protesting and boycotting after years of autocracy under Mubarak is affecting Egypt’s ability to lure foreign investors and tourists again. The political unrest has hit Egypt’s foreign currency reserves, which have fallen below a critical level to less than $14 billion.

Meanwhile, many residents of the city of Port Said blame Morsi’s policies for the turmoil. A civil disobedience campaign in the city started a week ago. More than 1,000 people, including hundreds of employees of the Suez Canal Authority, protested yesterday outside one of the vital waterway administration’s gates. Shipping in the international waterway has not been affected. The protesters are demanding retribution for those killed during unrest in the city and for officials to be on trial. On Friday, around 15,000 protested against Morsi and hung effigies of him in the main square there. There have also been near daily protests in Cairo and in the textile producing city of Mahalla.—AP

India’s secret executions raise concerns NEW DELHI: For 11 years the family of a convicted terrorist waited and wondered about his fate as he sat on death row. Two weeks ago they found out - from television. Mohammad Afzal Guru had been hanged in secrecy in a faraway jail in New Delhi. A government letter informing them of the imminent hanging arrived at their home in Kashmir two days after he was dead. “No words can describe the pain. It was like a bolt from the sky. Our whole family is still locked in that moment. We’re still struggling to reconcile with that moment,” said Yasin Guru, the dead man’s cousin.

India has hanged two men in the past three months, its first executions in eight years. In a departure from past practice, both were done in secrecy. Rights activists worry the government has set a precedent that could impact the nearly 500 people on death row in India, including four men whose mercy pleas - their last hope of life were rejected by India’s president last week. “The new practice of executing in secret without prior notification to relatives is deeply worr ying,” said G Ananthapadmanabhan, who heads the India chapter of Amnesty International.

Three months earlier, Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of a 2008 terror attack in Mumbai, was hanged in equal secrecy. His execution was announced several hours later. Many believe that the government wanted to avoid violent protests in Kashmir - where a separatist campaign has just begun to wane - that would have erupted had Guru’s hanging been announced beforehand. But that’s no consolation to his family or relevant to human rights activists and lawyers who see the two secret hangings as an assault on the values of democratic India.

Guru was convicted in the 2001 attack on India’s Parliament that killed 14 people when five heavily armed gunmen entered the high-security parliament complex and opened fire. Eight police personnel were killed before the five attackers were shot and killed. A gardener also died. Guru’s wife, 13-year-old son and other family members were stunned when they heard on television news that he had been executed, said Yasin Guru, the cousin. Convicts facing imminent execution are normally allowed a last meeting with their families.

“The world’s biggest democracy did not even have the courtesy to inform us,” he

said, adding the family was now demanding that the government hand over his body, which has been buried in Tihar jail in New Delhi, where he was executed Feb 9.

The government says it sent a letter, dated Feb. 6, informing Guru’s family of the execution. But it was mailed Feb 8, one day before his execution and reached his family in Sopore in Kashmir on Feb 11, two days after Guru was hanged. “The most distressing failure of official compassion and public decency was in denying Afzal Guru’s wife and teenage son the chance to meet him for the last time before his execution,” activist Harsh Mander wrote in the Hindustan Times newspaper.

T R Andhyarujina, a former solicitor general of India, called Guru’s execution “an inhumane act” that serves as “the most callous death sentence carried out by the government of India”. Kasab, the convict in the Mumbai terror attack, was a Pakistani.

India said it informed Pakistan about the imminent execution and asked Islamabad to inform his family. Kasab’s family did not claim his body. There was little outcry over his execution, partly because of the deep revulsion that his actions evoked in India.

The two and a half day attack by Kasab and

his comrades in November 2008 left 166 people dead and is seared in the memory of most Indians. Because Kasab was a foreigner with no local ties, family or support, his execution did not cause the same kind of blowback that Guru’s did.Most of that anger was evident in Kashmir which erupted into violence after the news of Guru’s hanging came out. Many Kashmiris also believe that he did not receive a fair trial.

Even Kashmir ’s chief minister, Omar Abdullah, an ally of the Indian government, said it was unacceptable that the family was not told of the execution and allowed to say goodbye. “If we are going to inform someone by post that his family member is going to be hanged, there is something seriously wrong with the system,” he said.

The secrecy goes against the humanitarian values the Indian state professes to uphold, said Rebecca John, a Supreme Court lawyer. “The fact that the family was not informed, it reflects not only a weak state, but a brutal state; a state that does not believe in basic human rights,” she said. The use of the death penalty, on the books since 1860, has been unheard of recently.— AP

NEW DELHI: In this Feb 9, 2013 photo, Kashmiri students and anti-death penalty activists participate in a protest against the execution of Kashmiri Mohammad Afzal Guru. — AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Protesters in ‘silent scream’ for jailed Turkish officers ANKARA: Angered by the jailing of scores of military figures, protesters in cities across Turkey are demanding justice with quiet but determined weekly rallies they call “silent screams”. For the past few months hundreds of demonstrators, many of them relatives of the detained officers, have been gathering peacefully across the country every Saturday afternoon to denounce what they see as politically motivated punishments against the country’s once omnipotent military.

They carry Turkish flag, banners and photos of the detained officers, but they refrain from marching or shouting slogans, hoping that their coordinated, silent protests will be more effective. At one gathering in Ankara in November, some protesters covered their mouths with black ribbons. “We will continue our protest until we empty Silivri,” said 55-year-old Safiye Kavvas during a recent protest in Ankara.

Silivri is the heavily guarded prison near Istanbul where more than 300 military officers are being held who were convicted of

an alleged coup plot in September.

Since coming to power in 2002, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought to tackle head-on the powerful military, the self-appointed guardians of the secular state who carried out four coups over half a century and had threatened his Islamic-rooted party with a political ban.

Tensions have for years been building between Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and its opponents who fear Turkey’s secular traditions are in peril and the premier’s attempts at consolidating power are leading him to anti-democratic excesses.

But the extensive legal process that has led to the mass convictions of military figures, while hundreds more are still in jail awaiting trial, has sparked particular outrage in some corners.While pro-government circles have praised the legal process as a step towards democracy that will end decades of political interference in Turkey, critics have branded the cases witch-hunts aimed at stifling voices of dissent. The

main opposition party leader last month likened the Silivri prison complex to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany.

“There were concentration camps in Hitler’s Germany in the 1940s. Today in the 2010s’ Turkey, there is another concentration camp in Silivri,” said Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). “What do they share in common? Opposing the party in power...

Professors, academics, journalists, authors are there in the concentration camp. We’ll tell about this camp to the whole world.”

Dozens of journalists are also in detention, as well as lawyers, academics and lawmakers - most of them accused of plotting against the government or having links with the outlawed Kurdish rebel movement the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Faced with a public outcry, Erdogan has been trying to distance himself from the detentions, acknowledging in a recent television interview his unease over “dropping army morale” over the arrests at a time when his government is seeking to

crack down on armed wings of the separatist Kurdish rebels. In an apparently conciliatory gesture, the premier surprised observers earlier this month when he visited an ailing general in hospital - who was among the more than 300 officers jailed for up to 20 years in after a court ruled that a 2003 army exercise known as “Sledgehammer” was an undercover coup plot.

At the Ankara protest, much of the anger is focussed on the Sledgehammer trial. “The Sledgehammer verdict is a massacre of law,” read one banners quietly held aloft. “Turkey, do not sleep. Do something about your military!” read another. “I’m here with the families of jailed officers because I believe the cases targeting the military are politically motivated,” said Ahmet Tatar. Tatar’s elder brother Ali, a navy commander, was found dead in his house in 2009 after an Istanbul court issued an arrest warrant for him over his suspected links to Ergenekon, a shadowy network accused of plotting to overthrow

the AKP government. A verdict in that coup trial, involving 275 defendants including top military figures, is expected within weeks. Earlier this month, US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone fired off a strident attack on the country’s justice system in an interview with local media, speaking out against the jailing of military and political figures. “You have your military leaders, who were entrusted with the protection of this country, behind bars as if they were terrorists,” Ricciardone said, noting that a number of lawmakers had also suffered the same fate. The comments angered government officials who told Ricciardone to stop meddling in Turkey’s domestic affairs, adding further tension to his already uneasy relationship with Turkish authorities. But according to the protesters, the American was only articulating what many Turks are thinking.

“Generals combating terrorism are behind bars,” said protester Halil Yapagili, a teacher. “We are standing behind (our) soldiers,” he added. — AFP

Fighting erupts in north Mali after suicide bombs MUJAO warns of more, wider suicide attacks

QUSRA: Palestinians aid a wounded protestor following clashes with Israeli settlers in this West Bank village near Nablus yesterday. — AFP

Palestinians hurt in clashes with settlers JERUSALEM: Palestinian villagers and Jewish settlers clashed in the northern West Bank village of Kusra yesterday, wounding one demonstrator who protesters say was shot in the stomach. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for shooting Helmi Abbul-Aziz, a 24-year-old man who took part in the protests that reflect mounting tension as Palestinians in the West Bank demonstrate against Israel’s control of the territory. A Palestinian hospital official and two villagers said Abdul-Aziz was in serious condition after being shot in the stomach.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said about 150 Palestinians and 25 Jewish settlers took part in the clashes. The spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military policy, said she was looking into the shooting and reports that live fire was used to disperse the demonstrators. Two residents watching the clashes, Basem Nazal and Abdul-Azim Wadi, said Israeli forces dispersing the Palestinians used tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets - but not live fire.

Settler officials were not immediately available for comment on the Jewish Sabbath, but villagers said the most likely perpetrator was a Jewish settler. They said a group of Israeli

civilians had encroached onto their village lands armed with guns that they initially fired during the melee.

According to Palestinian demonstrators, the clashes began when a group of Jewish settlers chased a Palestinian farmer and his family off land in the village. In response, the farmer called on residents to confront the settlers, and men on both sides hurled rocks at each other. Basem Nazal, a resident of Kusra, said groups of settlers were uprooting their olive trees and vandalizing Palestinian homes close the wildcat Jewish outpost of Eish Kodesh. There are some 300,000 Israeli Jewish settlers living in the West Bank, which the international community condemns.

Palestinians seek the West Bank, a hilly territory which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war, for part of their future state. A hardline minority of Jewish settlers frequently attack nearby Palestinian villagers and their property. The clashes come a day after widespread demonstrations took place throughout the West Bank in support of four hunger striking Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention.

More broadly, there has been a general rise in Palestinian demonstrations in the West Bank against Israel’s control of the territory. — AP

Battle for Aleppo airport intensifies BEIRUT: The battle for Syria’s second-largest airport intensified yesterday as government troops tried to reverse recent strategic gains the rebels have made in the northeast in their quest to topple President Bashar Al-Assad.

Assad’s troops have been locked in a stalemate with rebels in Aleppo since July when the city, the largest in Syria, became a major

ALEPPO: A member of the Syrian security forces inspects the heavily damaged Zahrawi souq during a patrol in the old city of Aleppo yesterday. — AFP

battlefield in the 2-year-old conflict the United Nations says has killed at least 70,000 people. Rebels have been trying to capture the international airport for months.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Britain-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the current fighting was focused on a section of a highway linking airport with Aleppo, the commercial hub of the nation. The rebels have cut off the highway, which the army has been using to transport troops and supplies to a military base within the airport complex.

Rebels have made other advances in the battle for the complex in recent weeks, including capturing two army bases along the road to the airport.

The rebels also control large swaths of land outside Aleppo and whole neighborhoods inside the city, which is divided between areas controlled by the regime and others held by rebels. Yesterday, the army launched an offensive on opposition strongholds outside Damascus in an effort to dislodge rebels from areas around the capital that they have been trying to storm for weeks. Recent rebel advances in the Damascus suburbs, combined with the bombings and three straight days of mortar attacks earlier this week marked the most sustained challenge to the heart of the capital, the seat of Assad’s power. A suicide car bombing on Thursday near the ruling Baath Party headquarters in the heart of Damascus killed 53 civilians and wounded more than 200, according to state media. Anti-regime activists put the death toll at 61, which would make it the deadliest bombing of the revolt in the capital. The different tolls could not be reconciled. Nobody claimed responsibility for the attack. Car bombs and suicide attacks have been a hallmark of Jabhat al-Nusra, an Islamic militant group fighting among the rebels. Nusra fighters, the most effective group on the battlefield, have led assaults on military installations and control swaths of territory in the north, including parts of Aleppo neighborhoods.— AP

BAMAKO: Fresh fighting erupted yesterday in northern Mali between ethnic Tuaregs and an unidentified armed group, security sources told AFP, the latest violence in the wake of a Frenchled campaign that drove radical Islamist fighters from major cities. Tuaregs of the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA) were fighting what one source said “seemed to be Arab fighters” near the nor thern town of Tessalit, where suicide car bombers killed three people on Friday.

The Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist rebel group, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), yesterday claimed responsibility for the bombings in In-Khalil near Tessalit, saying they were specifically targeting the MNLA ,which has been cooperating with French forces to flush out Islamists from nor thern Mali.

“Through the car bombings against MNLA elements in the In-Khalil zone, the MUJAO is committed to pursuing jihad against infidels,” group spokesman Adnan Abu Walid Sahraoui said in a statement sent to AFP in Bamako.

On Thursday, MUJAO also claimed an attack in the northern city of Kidal where a vehicle exploded near a camp occupied by French and Chadian troops. The mountainous region between Tessalit and Kidal is strategically important, seen as a stronghold for many Tuaregs and used by Islamists as a hideout from French forces. France sent in troops on Jan 11 to help the Malian army oust Islamist militants who last year captured the desert north of the country. Since then, thousands of soldiers from African countries have also deployed, and France plans to start withdrawing its troops next month.

In yesterday ’s statement, the MUJAO spokesman warned that future suicide attacks are planned in Mali’s capital as well as in the capitals of Burkina Faso and Niger, whose troops are part of the African force in Mali.

“Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey remain favourable zones for our suicide bombers who are ready to make the planned attacks,” he said, without elaborating. He also demanded that the groups holding French hostages in the Sahel region and in Niger kill their victims in revenge against France, which he accused of “staging a crusade against Islam and Muslims”.

Seven members of a French family, including four young children, were seized by kidnappers in Cameroon on Tuesday and are believed to have been taken over the border into Nigeria.

French-led forces met little resistance during the initial offensive that drove the Islamists from the main northern centres of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu. Now, however, they are facing a guerrilla campaign that includes sudden raids, suicide attacks and land mines. On Friday, Chad, which also has troops Mali, suffered its heaviest losses so far after clashes with Islamists in the mountainous northern Ifoghas region. The Chadian army said the fighting claimed the lives of 13 Chadian soldiers and 65 Islamists.

Earlier this week, France announced the death of one of its soldiers in the same area, after having destroyed rebel munition depots and killing “more than 20” Islamists. Overnight Thursday and early Friday, shooting broke out in several parts of Gao, some 1,200 km north of Bamako. The Islamists were then “neutralised”

by the city’s town hall, a Mali military official said, adding that two French troops were wounded in the operation. “Some terrorists” tried unsuccessfully to “infiltrate by the banks of the River Niger”, and around 10 of them were killed, the same source said.

On Friday, a US defence official said the United States has deployed several Predator drones to Niger to fly surveillance missions in support of French forces in Mali. The separatist Tuareg rebels initially led the takeover of northern Mali in a bid to split the region from the south where the government in Bamako has long marginalised their community. Fighting alongside the main Islamist group Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith) backed by MUJAO, the Tuareg were then swiftly pushed aside and the alliance collapsed, with many MNLA fighters instead defecting to the Islamist rebel groups.

The MNLA then came out in support of the French-led intervention, hoping the move could help it regain control of the north.— AFP

GAO, Mali: A child plays with a tyre yesterday in the center of northern Mali’s largest city. — AFP

Tunisia new PM starts work on govt TUNIS: Tunisian prime minister-designate Ali Larayedh was to start work yesterday on forming a new government after his predecessor and fellow Islamist Hamadi Jebali stepped down in the face of a political deadlock. Rached Ghannouchi, who heads the two men’s Islamist party Ennahda, said the efforts were focused on enlarging the threemember ruling coalition to add another two parties. The alliance currently groups Ennahda with two secular, centre-left parties: President Moncef Marzouki’s Congress for the Republic and Ettakatol.

The Ennahda leader said on Friday night the aim was to bring Wafa, which is made of CPR dissidents, and independent Islamists of the Freedom and Dignity group into the government. But a sticking point remains the attribution of the key interior, justice and foreign ministries -portfolios the government’s opponents want to go to inde-

pendents, Ghannouchi acknowledged. “The questions of neutrality... and the candidacy of members of the new government have not yet been resolved,” he told the official news agency TAP. Larayedh, the interior minister tapped by Marzouki to become the next prime minister, pledged on Friday to form a cabinet representing all Tunisians. “We are going to enter the phase of forming a new government that will be for all Tunisian men and women, taking into account the fact that men and women have equal rights and responsibilities,” he said. Larayedh has until March 8 to present a new government to the head of state, Marzouki’s spokesman said, adding that the president urged him to do so “as quickly as possible because the country cannot wait any longer.”

Ennahda had put forward Larayedh’s name after its consultative council selected him on Thursday night. Jebali resigned on Tuesday after his plan to

form a non-partisan government, announced in the wake of public outrage over the murder of leftist politician and Islamist critic Chokri Belaid, was rejected by Ennahda. The killing sparked deadly street protests and strikes, which Jebali attempted to defuse by announcing his plan for a cabinet of technocrats to lead Tunisia into early elections.

Yesterday, several hundred demonstrators took to Habib Bourguiba Avenue in central Tunis to protest against Ennahda and demand that Belaid’s killers be found. “Ghannouchi, killer!” they chanted.

Liberals and secularists have accused Ennahda of failing to rein in religious extremists threatening Tunisia’s stability. Belaid’s family directly accused the party of orchestrating his murder, a charge it strongly denied. Larayedh announced on Thursday there had been arrests in the murder inquiry, though he gave no further details, and said the killer had not yet been identified. — AFP

3 killed in Yemen separatist clashes

TUNIS: A Tunisian protester flashes the sign of victory holding a poster featuring slain opposition leader Chokri Belaid during a demonstration yesterday on Habib Bourguiba Avenue. — AFP

ADEN: Three people were killed in clashes as southern separatists blocked roads in two Yemeni cities yesterday, adding to the death toll of this week’s violence in the troubled south of the country. “A policeman was killed and another wounded in clashes when security forces intervened after gunmen from the Southern Movement blocked roads” in Aden, General Abdulhafez al-Saqqaf, head of its central security services, told AFP. A soldier was also wounded, the official said. Also in Aden, troops shot dead a southern activist, according to a medic at the city’s Al-Naqib hospital and activists of the Southern Movement, which advocates the region’s autonomy or independence.

Aden residents said dozens of separatists took to the streets of the Khor Maksar, Mualla, Sheikh Osman and Dar Saad districts, blocking roads, burning tyres and clashing with the army. A security official told AFP that “supporters of the

Southern Movement blocked roads and, when the army tried to intervene, gunmen among them deployed in buildings in these areas opened fire on troops, prompting the clashes”. The official, who asked not to be named, said the protesters were supporters of a hardline separatist faction led by exiled Ali Salem Al-Baid, that has so far refused to take part in a national dialogue set to take place on March 18. The activists were protesting “under the banner of civil disobedience,” he said. In the southeastern province of Hadramawt, where similar clashes took place yesterday, police killed another protester, Southern Movement activist Nasser Bagzkoz told AFP. “Police opened fire at a peaceful protest that took off in the town of Ghail Bawazir,” 30 km west of the provincial capital Mukala, killing protester Mohammed Buslama, he said.

Residents said gunfire rang across Mukala as separatists blocked roads and burned tyres.— AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Depardieu takes residence on Russia’s Democracy Street SARANSK, Russia: French actor and newly-minted Russian citizen Gerard Depardieu on Saturday formally registered as resident of the little-known Russian region of Mordovia, giving his residence as No. 1, Democracy Street. In a grand ceremony in Mordovia’s main city of Saransk that bore little relation to the average Russian’s experience of local bureaucracy, Depardieu signed a form and had his passport stamped to formally become a resident. The procedure was greeted by wild applause by the crowds crammed into the city’s state theatre to witness the procedure as the burly French megastar grinned broadly.

“Glory to Saransk, Glory to Mordovia, Glory to Russia!” he bellowed in celebration, in heavily-accented Russian.

Depardieu then proudly produced the Russian passport, complete with the new registration stamp, to show off to

the cameras, an AFP correspondent said. His address was announced as an apartment on No. 1, Democracy Street in an upscale area of Saransk which belongs to relatives of his friend, the head of Russia’s State Film Fund Nikolai Borodachev.

All Russian citizens are obliged to be formally registered as living in a certain city, town or village with a corresponding stamp in their passport to prove it.

Depardieu was granted a Russian passport by President Vladimir Putin in January after complaining at high tax rates in France. This trip is his second to Russia as a Russian citizen and he is expected to stay in Saransk for several days. True to his reputation for rocking relations with his home countr y, Depardieu aggressively asked a pair of French journalists whom he recognised to leave and delete their video recordings.

The Mordovia region in central Russia was until know chiefly known for its network of prison camps where one of the jailed Pussy Riot punks is serving her sentence. Populated by a large community of Finnic-speak ing Mordvins, it is also a host city of the 2018 World Cup that is to be hosted by Russia. “We are very happy that the citizen of the world, the great actor Gerard Depardieu, has registered namely in Saransk,” said the head of the Mordovia region, Vladimir Volkov. “We will continue to get Depardieu acquainted with our culture, our agriculture, industry, our successful experience of inter-ethnic relations and our people,” he added.

Local media repor ts said that Depardieu on his latest trip would be given an excursion around a local cheese factor y that uses French machinery and may also go on a trip hunting for wild boar. According to Yuri

Mishanin, the head of the theatre where the registration ceremony was held, Depardieu was also hoping to “open a small restaurant here in Saransk”. The Russian authorities are clearly delighted to have found a cultural figure who praises Putin to the skies and shows his respect for Russian culture. But some commentators have queried Depardieu’s wanderings in Putin’s Russia, comparing him to artists like Irish writer George Bernard Shaw who praised the Soviet Union at the height of Stalin’s tyrannical rule.

Depardieu was given citizenship by Putin in early January after he squabbled with French Prime Minister JeanMarc Ayrault, who scolded his “pathetic” decision to become a tax exile in Belgium. He is not expected to live full time in Russia but the Saransk authorities are expecting he will make regular visits to his adopted new home.— AFP

SARANSK, Russia: French actor Gerard Depardieu holds his passport registration at a theatre yesterday. — AFP

Spanish king’s son-in-law makes court appearance Urdangarin protects royals in corruption scandal

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI addressing cardinals and prelates of the Roman Curia during a meeting on the day of the closing of the Spiritual Exercises at the Vatican yesterday. — AFP

Vatican hits back at intrigue claims VATICAN CITY: The Vatican yesterday hit back at Italian media reports of intrigue, corruption and blackmail among top prelates, saying they were aimed at pressuring cardinals ahead of their vote to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI who resigns next week.

The Vatican’s Secretariat of State - effectively the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church - took the highly unusual step of issuing a formal statement condemning “unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories”.

The statement said the current atmosphere recalled past centuries when foreign states would try, “following a political or worldly logic”, to influence the outcome of conclaves - the traditional meetings of cardinals in the Sistine Chapel to elect popes. “If in the past the so-called powers, i.e. states, exerted pressures on the election of the pope, today there is an attempt to do this through public opinion,” the Secretariat of State said. It said recent media reports were “deplorable” and “cause serious damage to persons and institutions”, adding that they did not capture “the spiritual aspect of the moment the Church is living”.

The pope last year appointed three cardinals to conduct a wide-ranging investigation into the Roman Curia, the Vatican hierarchy, in parallel with a police inquiry into a scandal known as “Vatileaks”. Benedict’s butler Paolo Gabriele was arrested, convicted and later pardoned by the pope for leaking confidential documents to the press, but suspicions linger that more people were involved.

The cardinals submitted their report for the pope’s eyes only, but Italian media have said they will also share their conclusions with other cardinals ahead of the pontiff’s resignation on Thursday. The Panorama news weekly and the Repubblica daily said on

Thursday that the cardinals’ report contained allegations of corruption and of blackmail attempts against gay Vatican clergy, as well as favouritism based on gay relationships. They said the report may have influenced the pope’s shock decision to resign, though the 85-year-old pontiff cited his advancing age.

In a statement on Vatican Radio’s website, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi dismissed the reports as “gossip, disinformation and sometimes calumny”. Referring to the conclave, Lombardi said there was “unacceptable pressure to condition the vote of one or other member of the college of cardinals, who might be disliked for one reason or another”. “There are people who are trying to take advantage of this moment of surprise and disorientation of weak souls to sow confusion and discredit the Church and its government,” Lombardi said. “People who think in terms of money, sex and power and see different realities through this prism cannot see the Church any differently,” he said.

The pope meanwhile completed his traditional week-long spiritual retreat in the Vatican with the Roman Curia, saying he would remain in “spiritual proximity” to his aides even after he steps down. In a speech to the Curia yesterday, the pope also said that the beauty of God’s creation “is constantly contradicted by the evil of this world, by suffering and by corruption”. He thanked members of the Curia, adding that “even though our external visible communion is coming to an end, there remains a spiritual proximity, there remains a profound communion in prayer”.

Tens of thousands of faithful are expected in St Peter’s Square today when Benedict will recite his last weekly prayers and again on Wednesday when he will hold his final general audience.— AFP

Georgia charges president’s ally TBILISI: Georgian investigators yesterday charged Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava with misspending state funds and money laundering, in the latest legal case against a close ally of President Mikheil Saakashvili. The filing of the charges against the charismatic Ugulava - seen as the president’s closest ally - is the latest twist in a growing confrontation between Saakashvili and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. The move to prosecute Ugulava caps months of tensions after the president’s United National Movement (UNM) party lost legislative elections to Ivanishvili’s coalition last October.

TBILISI: Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava speaks with journalists after being questioned by the Investigative Service of the Finance Ministry yesterday. — AFP Ugulava was summoned by the finance ministry’s investigations service and charged with “misspending state funds and legalisation of illegal income,” the ministry said in a statement. Ugulava denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the charges as “absurd” and politically motivated. “I do not understand what they are charging me with,” Ugulava told journalists after

he left the finance ministry building as hundreds of his supporters waited outside. “I am ready to take this challenge. I am sure that all accusations will be dropped during the trial.

Our response will be patience.” In a warning to Ivanishvili, he added: “Manipulations with the truth will lead this government to hell.”

The charges included - in two separate cases - the fictitious employment of hundreds of activists from Saakashvili’s party in the Tbilisi municipality and “a criminal scheme of seizure of the (opposition) Imedi TV” from its owner and handing it over to a Saakashvili loyalist.

Saakashvili’s spokeswoman, Manana Manjgaladze, blamed Ivanishvili for being behind the charges which she said undermined the principle of cohabitation between the two leaders.

“It is absolutely clear that this is not a legal proceeding, and it is not (carried out) within the legal framework. We can say unequivocally that this is a political order,” she said in a statement.

“It is hard to speak about cohabitation when the other side is acting with such methods. In this process, the full responsibility lies upon the prime minister of Georgia,” she added.

Saakashvili’s national security advisor, Giga Bokeria, went even further: “The prime minister’s declared goal is the annihilation of the political opposition,” he said. Georgia’s Prosecutor-General Archil Kbilashvili said late Friday that Saakashvili might be interrogated as a witness in Ugulava’s case. Several former top Saakashvili officials have been arrested and hundreds of UNM supporters interrogated over the last three months for alleged wrongdoing, prompting warnings from top European diplomats over selective justice and persecution of political opponents.— AFP

PALMA DE MAJORCA, Spain: Spanish King Juan Carlos’s son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin moved yesterday to distance the royal family from a corruption scandal that has struck at the heart of the palace. Urdangarin was questioned by a judge on the island of Majorca over allegations that he embezzled millions of euros of public money paid to Noos, a charity he managed. “The royal family did not give its opinion on, advise or authorise the activities of Noos,” Urdangarin told the judge yesterday, according to a copy of his declaration published by Spanish media.

Urdangarin’s former business partner Diego Torres last weekend reportedly told the judge that the palace oversaw the activities of the company, from which Urdangarin quit as chairman in 2006. When the palace learned of allegations against public companies that had worked with Noos, he added, it “recommended that I give up an activity that it considered inappropriate for my institutional status, and that is what I did.”

Urdangarin and Torres are suspected of syphoning off money paid by regional governments to the Noos Institute to stage sports and tourism events. Both men have denied any wrongdoing and have not been charged with any crime. The judge is investigating the case with a view to possibly putting them on trial. Carlos Garcia Revenga, longtime secretary of Urdangarin’s wife, the king’s youngest daughter Cristina, was also due to be questioned on Saturday by Jose Castro.

Urdangarin made no comment to reporters when he arrived at court with his lawyer for the closed-door hearing. A crowd of protestors massed nearby yelling in rage at the alleged corruption, which has fanned public anger at a time of economic hardship.

Juan Carlos has enjoyed widespread respect for helping guide Spain to democracy in the 1970s. He has distanced the palace from Urdangarin since the scandal erupted at the end of 2011. Spanish newspapers citing unnamed sources in the case said Torres named Cristina as a decision-maker in the running of Noos. He reportedly handed the

judge emails which appeared to indicate that the king backed and closely followed his business career. The emails have reportedly been added to the investigating judge’s file. Garcia will be questioned about his role at the Noos Institute and “his possible work as an advisor” to Urdangarin, a court source said.

As Spain grapples with a record unemployment rate of 26 percent and government spending cuts, the allegations of corruption have taken their toll on the monarchy.

General support for having a monarchy in Spain fell to a historic low of 54 percent, according to a poll published last month in daily newspaper El Mundo. This month the court in Palma de Majorca said it would begin freezing assets belonging to Urdangarin and

Torres after they missed a deadline to pay bail of Ä8.2 million ($11.1 million). Since the bail was applied in a civil case the two will not go to jail for not paying the sum.

Urdangarin, a 45-year-old former Olympic handball champion, acquired the title of Duke of Palma when he wed Cristina in 1997. On top of the corruption scandal, King Juan Carlos, 75, has seen his health suffer in recent years. The palace announced that the king will have surgery for a slipped disc on March 3 at a Madrid clinic - his seventh operation in three years. The royal palace on Friday said the king was not planning to abdicate despite a press report to that effect and calls by several regional politicians for him to step aside for his son Felipe, 45. —AFP

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain: Inaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma, enters a courthouse yesterday.— AP

Italy prepares for landmark election ROME: Italians hit by austerity and recession yesterday prepared to take to the polls for an election that is being watched around Europe, a day after a mass rally in Rome showed rising social discontent. Tens of thousands of people turned out to hear Beppe Grillo, a comedian turned activist whose grassroots Five Star Movement could receive a massive protest vote and become Italy’s third biggest political party after the elections today and tomorrow. “Let’s send them all home!” the crowd chanted on Friday - a slogan of Grillo’s campaign against mainstream politicians, many of whom have been discredited recently by a series of investigations into corruption and waste of public funds.

La Repubblica daily called Grillo the “Rock Star of Populism”, while La Stampa spoke of an “apocalyptic climate” and topselling Corriere della Sera said in an editorial: “An entire system is disappearing.” Grillo has promised to slash politicians’ salaries, increase unemployment benefits and hold a referendum on whether Italy should retain the euro. Candidates could not campaign yesterday, and voter surveys have been off-limits for the two weeks leading up to the polls.

“I am worried for my country,” centre -left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, the favourite in the polls, told supporters at his final rally on Friday. Renowned film director Nanni Moretti also appeared at the event and said it was time to “liberate” Italy from the scandaltainted media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. Outgoing premier Mario Monti promised to over-

haul the labour market to create more jobs. Three-time premier Berlusconi said he was confident even though polls have put him in second place.

Bersani, a cigar-chomping former communist who now espouses broadly pro-market views, has said he will continue with the budget discipline enforced by Monti to the delight of financial markets. But he will come under pressure to ease back on austerity and do more to promote growth and jobs as Italy endures its longest recession in 20 years and unemployment hits a record high of 11.2 percent. The financial markets are monitoring closely as a return to Italy’s bad old days of free-wheeling public finances could spell disaster for the eurozone beset by a debt crisis.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told the Stuttgarter Zeitung daily that it

was “in Italy’s interests” to continue with Monti’s reform agenda.

Belgian daily Le Soir carried an editorial titled “Italian Elections, European Stakes”. “The real danger that threatens Italy, and therefore all of Europe, is instability,” wrote the paper’s editorialist Christophe Berti. Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza said the election was “A Fight Between Clowns” - Berlusconi and Grillo.

With everything at stake, the campaign has been remarkably underwhelming, with few rallies and a lot of back-and-forth in television interviews that have provided little detail on electoral promises. A case in point was Berlusconi’s vow to refund to Italians - if needed out of his own pocket - an unpopular property tax levied by Monti in an officiallooking letter that prompted some to queue at post offices to claim their money back. The billionaire, who is fighting his sixth

ROME: Comedian-turned-political agitator Beppe Grillo speaks during his final rally in Rome’s Piazza San Giovanni on Friday. — AFP

election campaign in two decades and is a defendant in two trials for tax fraud and sex with an underage prostitute, has been rising in the polls. The 76year-old has pursued a populist campaign, intimating that Italy’s social misery can be blamed on a “hegemonic” Germany imposing austerity.

Polls open at 0700 GMT today and close at 1900 GMT. A second day of voting tomorrow begins at 0600 GMT and ends at 1400 GMT, after which early results will begin to trickle through late Monday. Several polls indicate that Bersani may score only a half-victory by winning a majority in the lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, but failing to get one in the upper house, the Senate.

That would give Monti, an economics professor who is running as head of a centrist grouping, a crucial role as a coalition partner and could bring him back to government with a ministerial portfolio. An average of the most recent polls gave Bersani 34 percent of the vote, Berlusconi 30 percent, Grillo 17 percent and Monti around 11 percent. Coming after the last polls were made public, Pope Benedict XVI’s impending resignation could stop Berlusconi as it has drawn away the media attention that the showman tycoon has often relied on. In the hours ahead of the vote, officials and even famous singer Adriano Celentano urged Italians to come out and vote amid fears that disillusionment and bad weather could depress the turnout. A headline in La Stampa daily read: “Now it’s in the hands of Italians”. —AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

McCain, Obama set to meet on immigration Bill to tackle 11m illegal immigrants in US

SYDNEY: This photo shows retireee Peter Bell, 70, playing electronic poker machines at the Randwick Labor Club in Sydney. — AFP

Australia gambles on move to tackle slot machine addicts SYDNEY: It’s just after morning opening at Sydney’s Randwick Labor Club and already a few regulars are at the slot machines, or “pokies” as they are better known, for a quiet flutter. Electronic poker machines are the most popular form of betting in Australia, but concerns about problem gamblers have prompted the government to introduce reforms to help keep their spending under control. “The big picture is we’re becoming a nanny state,” said Peter Bell, a retiree who likes playing the machines, just like he enjoys to bet on horse races. He insists he is not a problem gambler.

“I spend a lot more money at the racetrack than I ever do at a poker machine,” the 70-year-old jokes. There are about 200,000 electronic gaming machines in Australia, with about 600,000 Australians playing them at least weekly, according to a Productivity Commission report released in 2010. But concerned that 15 percent of these players are problem gamblers whose money accounts for about 40 percent of spending, the government has moved to encourage all players to “pre-commit” to a financial limit before they start so they don’t over-spend. Under legislation passed late in 2012, while the scheme will remain voluntary, poker machine manufacturers must put the new pre-commitment technology on all new machines by the end of 2014. Warnings will also flash up on players’ screens with messages questioning them along the lines of, “How long have you been playing?” and “Have you spent beyond your limits?” The biggest clubs will also limit daily cash withdrawals from automatic teller machines to Aus$250, although this will not apply to casinos.

Anti-gambling campaigners say the scheme does not go far enough, since played at high intensity, it is easy to lose Aus$1,500 ($1,550) or more an hour on a poker machine. “We think it’s next to useless,” said Erin McMallum, whose Getup! organisation has been pushing for maximum bets to be dropped to one dollar, a move that would limit losses to about Aus$120 an hour. “People don’t voluntarily restrict themselves. Half the time they don’t even realise they have a problem.”

McMallum said problem gambling is

widespread in Australia, with many stories of people losing their homes, their relationships and even family members to suicide.

“Australia does have quite a unique problem in relation to problem gambling addiction, especially to poker machines,” she said. “The machines here are prolific, they are exceptionally high loss, and you can find them almost anywhere-every club, pub, bar, casino. They are hard to avoid if you do happen to have an addiction.”

The clubs industry, which derives revenue from the pokies, is also non-plussed by voluntary pre-commitment, with the executive director of Clubs Australia, Anthony Ball, saying players would be reluctant to use it. “Let’s remember, people are playing a poker machine for the same reason they might bet on a horse or play the lotteries-they want to win. It’s a feeling of freedom, it’s their recreation,” he said. “To get a card, to register brings a whole different feel to it.” Australians love a gamble, with the Melbourne Cup horse race known as “the race that stops a nation” and the national day to commemorate war dead, Anzac Day, known for its “two-up” betting on the toss of a coin.

“The punt is engrained in Australian culture,” explains Ball. Club membership is around 11.6 million people out of a population of around 23 million, and the industry says it employs 96,000, making an economic contribution of some Aus$7.2 billion each year. What concerns Ball is that the national government has for the first time ever, with the voluntary pre-commitment legislation, “involved itself in the regulation of poker machines”.

Ball said the technology would not be a “silver bullet” for problem gambling, and the government’s plan for pre-commitment to be mandatory in the Canberra region as part of a trial will fail dismally. “We think that mandatory pre-commitment will not help people-you don’t give a problem gambler a gambling card, that doesn’t work. It’s like giving an alcoholic drinking tickets. It’s a crazy thing to do,” he said. “We say you need to get to those people and take them away from the gambling environment and into an effective treatment regime.” — AFP

Raul Castro in final push to reform Communist Cuba HAVANA: Raul Castro, who will be re-elected president when Cuba’s National Assembly meets today, wants to reform the island’s sclerotic economy while keeping a central role for the Communist Party. It would be a difficult balancing act in the best of times, even for a leader with Raul’s impeccable revolutionary pedigree. Raul Castro is the younger brother of legendary Cuban leader Fidel Castro and took power only when the 86-year-old’s health began to fail. Since becoming president in 2008, he has attempted to overhaul Cuba’s antiquated Soviet-style economic system, but his reforms have done little to improve the lives of ordinary Cubans.

One change has been to limit a president’s time in office to two five-year terms, so Castro, who turns 82 in June, will have until February 2018 to make his mark. His reforms come as the future of the island’s economic benefactor, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, remains uncertain.

Chavez is recovering from cancer surgery, and it’s unclear whether his successor will be as generous.

Cuba has endured a US-imposed trade embargo since the 1960s and, since it failed to discover any oil in its part of the Gulf of Mexico, Havana depends heavily on cheap

Raul Castro

oil and economic aid from the leftist Venezuelan regime. Raul Castro became leader of Cuba’s military following the 1959 revolution and spent most of his career in the shadow of his more famous older brother.

He became interim president when Fidel took ill in 2006, then formally became president in 2008. The contrast is sharp: while Fidel is warm and cheerful, Raul is taciturn and distant. Raul speaks like a commanding officer, and rarely deviates in public from brief prepared speeches-unlike Fidel, who could improvise and deliver flowery and colorful rhetoric for hours on end. Raul Castro had a rare show of humor on Friday, so rare that some wondered if he was serious. “I am going to resign. I am about to turn 82. I have the right to retire.

Don’t you believe me?” Castro said, smiling to reporters after accompanying Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the old Soviet cemetery near Havana. Raul, unlike Fidel, also has a reputation for being a pragmatist. His goal is to liberalize Cuba’s economy and encourage more private entrepreneurship, but at the same time maintain a key role for the Cuban state through joint ventures.

He has promised to keep Cuba’s free education, universal health care and free or low-cost access to cultural events. The president is also seen as serious about battling corruption and has sent scores of officials, even former cabinet members, to prison for graft. During his presidency, Castro has allowed Cubans to own mobile phones and computers, and to stay in swank hotels previously reserved for foreigners.

In 2010, he engaged in unprecedented talks with the Catholic Church, resulting in some 130 political prisoners being set free.

This set the groundwork for Pope Benedict XVI to visit Cuba in March 2012. In 2011, he let Cubans legally buy and sell homes and automobiles, and slashed the country’s bloated bureaucracy as a cost-saving measure. In mid-Januar y, he even allowed Cubans to travel abroad without special exit visas or a foreign invitation, provided they have a valid passport.

Cuban dissidents are unimpressed by the reforms. In communist Cuba, most everything-especially the news mediabelongs to the government. — AFP

MEXICO CITY: US Sen John McCain said Friday that he and other lawmakers working on an immigration overhaul will meet with President Barack Obama on Tuesday to discuss the effort to revamp the system. McCain, a member of a bipartisan group of eight senators working on a bill, said there is still significant disagreement with the president, but he is optimistic about producing legislation that includes a path to legalization for illegal immigrants. The White House could not immediately confirm the Tuesday meeting. “The president of the United States has supported our efforts. In fact we will be meeting with the president on Tuesday,” McCain said during a visit to Mexico.

He did not say how many senators would attend the meeting. McCain told reporters after meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto that many details must be worked out between Obama and senators trying to produce legislation. Asked about the prospects for reaching a deal, he said: “I am guardedly optimistic that we could by the end of the next month.

There’s still a number of agreements that need to be made before I can assure you that we will have a resolution.”

While they differ on some key details, both Obama and the Senate are contemplating legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for most of the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the US, tighten border security, crack down on businesses that employ illegal workers and strengthen the legal immigration system.

McCain ticked off those aspects and added that he also envisions the legislation including a process for foreign agricultural and low-skilled laborers to work in the United States, a provision for highly educated workers to remain in the US, better identification cards for migrants and a special path for migrants brought to the US as

children. “On some of those we have specific agreement, in other areas we agree in principle, but we have not resolved the details,” he said.

“We are making progress, but we are still not at a point where we can say we will succeed.” The meeting marks Obama’s most direct involvement to date in negotiations by the bipartisan group of senators working to craft comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Wary of making it harder for Republicans to support an eventual bill by embracing it too closely, Obama has instead kept his distance. The White House is prepping its own bill, but says it’s just a backup in case congressional talks fail.

“It is, by far, the president’s preference that the Senate process move forward, that the bipartisan group of eight have success, and that they produce a bill that wins the support of Democrats and Republicans in Senate,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said this week. The risks for Obama in getting too close to the process were on full display earlier in the week when details of Obama’s draft bill were leaked, prompting concerns among some in Congress that the competing bill would make it harder for senators to strike a bipartisan deal. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a key Republican member of the group, said Obama’s plan had “injected additional partisanship into an already difficult process.”

But Senate aides said privately that bipartisan negotiations were in a good place and they did not feel as though the disclosure of details in Obama’s draft bill had disrupted their process.

On another political issue, McCain said that former Sen. Chuck Hagel had been weakened by his battle to be confirmed as defense secretary, but McCain said he and Senate colleagues could work with Hagel at the Pentagon. Hagel is expected to be confirmed Tuesday after fierce attacks from fellow Republicans including

McCain.

“I think he will have been weakened, but having said that, the job that he has is too important,” McCain said. “I know that I and my other colleagues, if he’s confirmed, and he very likely will be, will do everything we can to work with him.” McCain was defeated by Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Turning to Mexico, McCain said Pena Nieto had reassured him that Mexico would continue to battle drug cartels while reassessing the country law-enforcement strategy. The Mexican administration that took office Dec 1 has, at least in its public rhetoric, emphasized social programs and economic growth as the answer to drug crime, a change from the previous government’s focus on a militarized offensive against cartels. That has provoked concern in Washington about a reduction in anti-drug cooperation with Mexico.

“I have no doubt about his commitment,” McCain said of Pena Nieto. “I think he feels that policies and practices of the previous administration need to be examined.” McCain said the Mexican president had emphasized the need to reinforce Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, a new emphasis in a relationship that has focused heavily on the US-Mexican border. The Mexican government said Pena Nieto “emphasized the necessity and the benefits of diversifying the agenda and the dialogue between Mexico and the United States,” to focus on economic issues including the automotive industry and educational, scientific and technological cooperation. Pena Nieto’s government is in the midst of an international and domestic public relations campaign to undercut Mexico’s association with drug crime and promote its relatively strong economic growth, driven partly by foreign investment in manufacturing plants here. —AP

Holding candles, hundreds pray for Chavez CARACAS: Hundreds of Venezuelans held a candlelight vigil Friday for President Hugo Chavez, praying for their leader while he remained in a hospital undergoing cancer treatment. Chavez’s supporters gathered on a wide stairway in a hillside park near the presidential palace. They lit candles at sunset and sang along with a recording of a healthy Chavez belting out the national anthem. Some wiped away tears. Others closed their eyes and prayed. Some said they felt sad, yet still hopeful that Chavez might be able to survive.

“We’re praying for the president, for him to get through all of this,” said Ana Perez, a seamstress holding a candle and shielding her flame from the breeze with a piece of paper. Her eyes filled with tears as she talked about Chavez. “There is no other president like this one.

He’s unique,” she said, wiping a wet cheek. “He’s going to come out of all of this, and he’s going to get better,” Perez said. “He’s survived many hard things. He’s strong.”

A group of indigenous people wearing colorful dresses, beads and feathers danced around a bonfire at the base of the stairs. One man blew on a conch shell, while others shook maracas as they danced around the flames. Chavez hasn’t been seen since he returned to Venezuela on Monday from Cuba, where for 10 weeks he was recovering and fighting complications following his latest cancer surgery Dec 11.

Some in the crowd held photos of Chavez while a preacher spoke from a stage, saying: “The president is going to be healthy!”

Lissette Cordero, who stood holding a candle next to her 5-year-old son, said she’s grateful to Chavez for creating government-funded neighborhood councils and inexpensive state-run food stores. Her son, who also held a candle, looked up at the stage where the minister was speaking and asked, “Is that Chavez?” “No,” his mother replied with a smile.

“I have faith he’s going to recover. It’s hard,” she added. “I love him.”

The Venezuelan government pro-

CARACAS: A woman holds a picture of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez as she lights a candle during a vigil to pray for Chavez’s health as he remains in a hospital undergoing cancer treatment in Caracas.— AP vided an update on Chavez’s condition Thursday night, saying that he remained at a military hospital in Caracas and that “the medical treatment for the fundamental illness continues without presenting significant adverse effects.” The government has not given details about the treatment Chavez is undergoing, and hasn’t identified the type or exact location of the tumors that have been removed from his pelvic region.

Information Minister Ernesto Villegas read the statement on television, saying a “respiratory insufficiency” that arose in the weeks after the surgery “persists and its tendency has not been favorable, thus it continues to be treated.”

Venezuela’s opposition has demanded the government provide more specific information about Chavez’s condition, and has criticized a decision by lawmakers last month that indefinitely postponed his swearing-in ceremony for a new six-year term.

Two prominent Venezuelan

jurists asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to determine whether Chavez is fit to remain in office.

Former Supreme Court President Cecilia Sosa Gomez and professor Jose Vicente Haro called for the court to appoint a board of medical experts to determine whether Chavez is in physical and mental shape to remain president.

They argued that if Chavez is fit to be president, the court should proceed to hold a public swearingin. The government has said that Chavez is breathing through a tracheal tube, which makes talking difficult. Officials say he still is able to write, communicate with government officials and sign documents. Foreign Minister Elias Jaua read a lengthy letter from Chavez on Friday to a gathering of African and South American leaders in Equatorial Guinea.

In the letter, which ran for about 1,500 words, Chavez said he was sorry not to be able to attend the meeting. Chavez denounced Western military intervention in

countries such as Libya in recent years, and called for more “SouthSouth cooperation.” The letter ended with the words: “We will live and be triumphant!”

Prayer gatherings for Chavez this week have included a ceremony where indigenous shamans danced on Thursday, attended by Guatemalan indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchu. Menchu, who received the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize, said she had come to Venezuela “as one of the Maya spiritual guides” with knowledge of medicinal traditions. “I’m completely sure that President Hugo Chavez has received the cosmic energies. He has received the strength of our Mother Earth. ... He is going to overcome big obstacles,” Menchu said Friday at a televised event where she spoke alongside Vice President Nicolas Maduro. As for Chavez, she said, “He has to have sufficient rest so that he can recover the strength of his vital energies as soon as possible.” — AP

Manhunt on for suspects in fatal Vegas shooting LAS VEGAS: A multi-state manhunt was under way on Friday for the men who shot dead an aspiring rapper as he drove on the Las Vegas Strip in a Maserati, touching off a fiery crash that killed a cab driver and his passenger. Las Vegas police have not named any suspects in the dramatic pre-dawn shooting in the heart of the desert resort city on Thursday, but said they were still hunting for a black Range Rover used in the incident. One or more gunmen in the apparently brand-new luxury sport utility vehicle opened fire on a silver Maserati being driven by 27-year-old Kenneth Wayne Cherry Jr. at the busy intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road.

Cherry, who performed under the name “Kenny Clutch,” was slain and his car veered out of control before smashing into a taxicab. Killed in the cab were driver Michael Bolden, 62, and a passenger who has not been identified by authorities. Las Vegas television station KTNV reported that the taxi passenger killed in the incident was identified by her family as Sandi Sutton, a Washington state woman who

worked for a Seattle-area chamber of commerce. The gunfire and collision in the busy intersection near the Bellagio and Caesars Palace hotels triggered another crash involving four other vehicles. At least four people were hurt.

“As you can imagine our detectives are working non-stop,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police spokesman Officer Jose Hernandez said.

“There’s lots of information coming in, lots of leads being generated that we’re sifting through, and our investigation is moving forward.” Hernandez said Las Vegas police had asked authorities in neighboring states to assist in the manhunt and to be on the lookout for the black Range Rover, which was described as carrying paper dealer plates.

He said a passenger in Cherry’s car, who suffered a minor injury, had spoken to police. Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie told a Thursday news conference that the shooting may have stemmed from an altercation between Cherry and the suspects in the valet area of the Aria Resort and Casino on the Strip.

Hernandez declined to elaborate on that incident, saying that it was part of the ongoing investigation. Attorney Vicki Greco, who has represented Cherry for what she described as minor traffic issues and in a civil case, told Reuters that his family was “devastated.” “I can tell you this, the world has lost a good man,” Cherry’s aunt, Pat Sims, told the San Jose Mercury News for a story on its website.

“I’m not saying he didn’t have his faults, but he was very kind, especially to older people,” Sims, 75, told the paper. “Whatever happened in Vegas, I don’t know about, but he was a very kind soul.” The incident occurred less than a mile from where rapper Tupac Shakur was shot in September 1996 while riding in a BMW with Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight after the two men had attended a Mike Tyson boxing match. Shakur, 25, was hit by gunfire from at least one assailant in a Cadillac while sitting in Knight’s car at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane and died six days later at a hospital. His murder remains unsolved. — Reuters

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Five years on, no justice for British teen raped in India

NEW DELHI: The mother of a British teenager who was raped and left to die on a Goa beach five years ago has blasted India’s “rubbish” legal system over the stalled trial into her daughter’s death.

Scarlett Keeling was only 15 years old when her bruised and half-naked body was found on a beach in the Indian resort state of Goa in February 2008. Two men were arrested and charged with homicide several weeks after the attack on the popular Anjuna beach in the coastal state which has long been a haunt for Western tourists.

But five years on, their trial has come to a standstill and the pair are out on bail in an echo of a wider malaise in the notoriously sluggish Indian justice system. In an interview with AFP, Scarlett’s mother Fiona MacKeown expressed her exasperation at the delay, saying she will not be at peace until she has secured justice for the youngster. “The system is just rubbish,” she said by phone from her home in the county of Devon on the west coast of England. “It’s ridiculous that it’s now five years and we are still waiting.” The delay is another embarrassing example of India’s failure to deliver timely justice for victims of sex assaults, with anger still smouldering over the deadly gang-rape of a 23-year-old student in Delhi in December. Scarlett’s death also attracted international headlines, highlighting the dark side of a tourist destination still seen by many as a hangout for hippies. Since the trial began in 2010 at the children’s court in Goa’s state capital Panaji, proceedings have hit numerous obstacles. The court has not had a full-time judge since 2011 and the public prosecutor withdrew from the case two years ago saying he did not have enough time to devote to it. Since 2012, the court has met just once a week as it struggles to clear a massive backlog of cases.

Police initially dismissed Scarlett’s death as an accident but opened a murder probe after MacKeown piled pressure on local authorities, pushing for a second autopsy which proved that she had been drugged and raped. But the two defendants, Samson D’Souza and Placido Carvalho, were not charged with rape or murder after officers from India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said they lacked sufficient evidence to indict them. Instead they were charged with culpable homicide, using force with “intent to outrage her modesty” and administering a drug with intent to harm. Police allege that Scarlett was given a cocktail of illegal drugs and

Ex-Maldivian leader exits Indian embassy Nasheed left of his own volition: Delhi

ANJUNA: Scarlett Keeling on the Anjuna beach in Goa, a few days before her death. —AFP dumped unconscious in shallow water where she drowned, a theory MacKeown dismisses. “I don’t believe for a minute that she was left to die,” she said.

“Someone was brutal with her and held her face down hard in the water to kill her.” The family was on a six-month holiday to India when MacKeown and her other daughters went on an excursion to the southern state of Karnataka, leaving Scarlett in the care of a Goan family.

MacKeown came in for heavy criticism back home for leaving her daughter without parental supervision.

Rape culture Five years on, MacKeown is back home in Devon, with her remaining children and her “happy, nurturing” daughter never far from her thoughts. “She loved life, she had so many dreams. She wanted to study art, she wanted to play in a band,” she said.

“We miss her so much, she was my oldest girl and she was so good with her younger brothers and sisters.” She buried her daughter’s body only six months ago, when it was finally returned to her

by Indian authorities after a long bureaucratic wrangle.

MacKeown’s Goa-based lawyer, Vikram Varma, told AFP the ongoing Delhi gang-rape trial which is taking place in a fast-track court held important lessons for the rest of India’s police and judicial establishment.

In Delhi, police arrested the culprits within days, not weeks. And the court has promised a verdict soon.—AFP

NEW DELHI: Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed left the Indian embassy in the capital Male yesterday, an Indian official said, 10 days after he sought refuge in the mission in a bid to avoid arrest.

Nasheed’s exit came after a Maldivian court earlier this week postponed his trial for abuse of power when he was in office and India sent an envoy to the nation of 330,000 Sunni Muslims to try and end the political standoff. “He (Nasheed) entered India’s mission on February 13th of his own volition and decided to leave on his own,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said in New Delhi.

Nasheed, 45, is accused of abusing his powers after he won the first free elections in 2008 in the Indian Ocean holiday destination. The prodemocracy campaigner was ousted last year following a mutiny by police and troops. “He is not planning to go back (to the embassy). He has ended seeking refuge there,” Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party spokeswoman Shauna Aminath told AFP. Nasheed, a famed global warming activist, has condemned the charges of abuse of power against him as a “politically motivated sham”. The Maldivian court postponed the hearing scheduled for last Wednesday after police said

MALE: Former President Mohamed Nasheed, former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed (center) addresses supporters after leaving the High Commission of India in the capital Male yesterday.—AFP they were unable to arrest the former president and bring him before the magistrate, according to Nasheed’s party.

Presidential spokesman Masood Imad had confirmed the hearing had been cancelled but said that the case was still pending. Nasheed’s

taking refuge at the Indian embassy in Male had strained relations between India and its tiny neighbor.

The Maldivian foreign ministry last weekend summoned Indian High Commissioner (ambassador) D M Mulay and accused India of allowing Nasheed to use its embassy

for political activities.

India had appealed to its neighbor to guarantee “the integrity of the electoral process” before the presidential election set for September, but had strongly denied interfering in politics in the Maldives. —AFP

Pakistan Shiites demand trial of extremist leader QUETTA, Pakistan: Pakistani Shiites yesterday demanded that the head of a banned Sunni militant group be put on trial, a day after he was arrested following deadly sectarian attacks in the city of Quetta. Malik Ishaq, the leader of Lashkar-E-Jhangvi (LJ), was held on Friday after two recent bombings in the southwestern city targeting the Shiite Hazara minority killed more than 180 people, sparking nationwide protests.

The outlawed militant group, linked to both Al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taleban, claimed respon-

sibility for both attacks. “We have always been demanding arrest of all those involved in any act of sectarian violence, irrespective of their party affiliation,” said Abdul Khaliq Hazara, leader of the Shiite Hazara Democratic Party. “Ishaq must be brought to justice and punished for involvement in violence,” he added.

Ishaq, who has been arrested before, was released by a court on bail in July 2011, even though he has been implicated in dozens of murders. He was detained briefly in 2012 for inciting sectarian hatred

and has also been accused of masterminding the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, which wounded several players and killed eight Pakistanis.

His latest arrest-which came a day after the Pakistani army denied any links to LJ-should not be an “eye wash”, said Sajid Naqvi, another Shiite party leader. “We demand his trial and the authorities should provide protection to witnesses who would like to appear in the court,” he said. Shiites, who make up around 20 percent of the mostly Sunni Muslim population of 180

million, are facing record numbers of attacks, raising serious questions about security as nuclear-armed Pakistan prepares to hold elections by mid-May. The February 16 bomb attack in Quetta killed 89 people, while 92 people were killed in an attack at a Hazara snooker hall on January 10.

Protesters poured onto the streets following the latest bombing and shut down parts of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, demanding better protection for Shiites and lashing out at the government for failing to catch the perpetrators.— AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Body of Brunei woman found in cement block BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei police are probing the death of a Malaysian woman found encased in a block of cement in her friend’s garden, in the latest violent death to shock the sleepy sultanate.

Voon Su Ching, 39, was reported missing by her husband on February 13 after she did not return home from an errand to buy their son’s birthday cake. Police found her body five days later at the home of a

friend, who had asked her to check on the property while she went travelling over the Chinese New Year holidays.

Royal Brunei Police Force spokesman Pengiran Abdul Salam Ghani said an autopsy had been completed and police were awaiting the post mortem examination report to establish the cause of death. “ The body of the victim has been returned to the family and will be repatriated

back to Malaysia,” he told AFP on Friday. Abdul Salam denied reports in the Malaysian media that a suspect had been detained. He declined to comment further on the investigation.

Voon, who hails from Malaysia’s Sarawak state on Borneo island, which borders Brunei, ran a car wash business in the sultanate and lived with her husband and son.

The discover y of her body on

Monday caused a stir among locals as sniffer dogs and police vans arrived, with photographs of the scene going viral on social media.

The bungalow where the body was found is still being examined by police. Malaysian newspaper The Star reported that Voon’s body had been found after the owner discovered a three-meter high block of cement in her garden, with a stench coming from it. Violent crime is unusual in

Brunei, an oil-rich sultanate on the north coast of Borneo, with a population of just under 400,000 people.

However, a recent series of alarming deaths have unsettled the tightknit community. These include the brutal stabbing of a 62-year-old man, the murder of an Indonesian hardware store worker and the killing of a two-year-old girl who was punched and kicked to death by her mother’s boyfriend. —AFP

Indonesia ruling party chief quits over graft Urbaningrum named suspect

CIANJUR: Residents examine the wreckage of a container truck that hit several houses in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia yesterday. Police said the truck driver appeared to have lost control when his brakes failed, and hit a minivan and dozens of motorcycles near a factory before crossing the road and hitting a number of cars before slamming into several houses.—AP

Container truck crash in Indonesia kills 16 BANDUNG: Police say a container truck has slammed into several vehicles in central Indonesia, leaving 16 dead and injuring several others. Police spokesman Col Martinus Sitompul said the accident occurred yesterday in Sukabumi, a hilly town in West Java province.

He said the truck driver appeared to have lost control when his brakes failed, and hit a minivan and dozens of motorcy-

cles near a factory before crossing the road and hitting a number of cars before slamming into several houses. At least 16 bodies were recovered and more than 10 injured people were taken to a nearby hospital.

Most of the victims are factory workers who were on their way to work by motorcycle. Safety standards on Indonesian roads are poor and hundreds of people die in accidents every year. —AP

JAKARTA: The chairman of Indonesia’s ruling par ty, Anas Urbaningrum, announced his resignation yesterday after the country’s anti-graft body named him a suspect in a multi-million-dollar corruption case. “I quit as the chairman of the Democratic Party,” he told reporters in a press conference.

Urbaningrum, 43, was named a suspect Friday for allegedly receiving “gifts or a promise of gifts” in a graft case linked to the construction of the Hambalang sports centre project near Jakarta, worth around 1.17 trillion rupiah ($120.5 million). His resignation was widely expected as all Democratic Party officials had recently signed an “integrity pact” to give up their posts if named a graft suspect.

Maintaining his innocence, Urbaningrum said he would go through the necessary legal procedures. It was widely known that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, patron of the ruling Democratic Party, had not favored him for the chairman post in 2010, and yesterday the accused hinted that he believed the graft accusations were related to that. The allegation involving Urbaningrum is the latest scandal to hit the ruling party and is a further embarrassment for the president, who won a landslide victory on his re-election in 2009 on a corruption-fighting platform.

Legal graft cases surrounding the Democratic Party have dogged its popularity, which slumped to a

JAKARTA: Chairman of Indonesia’s ruling Democratic Party Anas Urbaningrum delivers his address at the party headquarters in Jakarta yesterday.—AFP mere eight percent in December last year from about 21 percent in 2009. Elections are due in 2014. At the beginning of December, the sports minister Andi Mallarangeng, who used to be the presidential spokesman, was forced to resign after being named a suspect in the same case.

He was the first minister to step down over graft allegations since the country’s powerful Corruption

Eradication Commission (KPK ) began operating in 2003 with a mandate to crack down on rampant graft. The party’s former treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin was jailed last April for four years and 10 months over a separate sports graft case. The Hambalang sports centre was built following a tender process that has been publicly questioned. The case has dogged Indonesia’s politics and Democratic

Bangladesh police fire to quell violence

This nine-picture combo shows Pakistani bomb blasts survivors posing for pictures in Pakistan that were taken between July, 2012 to Feb. 2013. — AP

Terrorism toll in Pakistan 30,000 since Sept 2001 KUWAIT: In recent weeks, the Pakistani government and Taleban forces fighting in northwestern tribal areas have expressed an interest in peace talks to end the years-long conflict. An estimated 30,000 civilians and 4,000 soldiers have died in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since Sept 11, 2001 - many at the hands of the Pakistani Taleban. Many of

those victims are angry at the prospect of peace talks with their attackers. “Hang them alive,” said 14-year-old Hazratullah Khan, who lost his right leg below the knee in a car bombing on his way home from school.

“Slice the flesh off their bodies and cut them into pieces. That’s what they have been doing to us.” —AP

DHAK A: Bangladesh police fired live rounds yesterday in fresh clashes with supporters of the country’s largest Islamic party whose leaders are standing trial for war crimes, killing two people.

The clashes came a day af ter the Muslim-majority nation was hit by deadly violence between police and Islamists demanding the execution of bloggers they accuse of blasphemy, which left four people dead and about 200 injured. I n Saturday’s clashes, police said they fired live rounds after up to 5,000 Islamists attacked them with stones and firearms just outside northern Pabna town, killing two people and injuring about 30. “ We fired in self defence,” Pabna’s deputy police chief Mollick Ruhul Amin told AFP. “One of our officers was also hit by (a) bullet and at least 10 to 12 policemen were injured,” he added. Jamaat-EIslami par ty called a half-day strike in Pabna district to protest what they say were attacks by ruling party supporters on its members and offices on Friday. Abu Taleb, district Jamaat secretary, told AFP

that police shot dead unarmed protesters, while denying that its own activists had attacked them.

The par ty has mounted a string of nationwide strikes since last month, protesting trials of 10 of its leaders, including its head and deputy head, for war crimes allegedly committed in the 1971 independence war against Pakistan. At least 16 people have been killed during protests over the war crimes trials, including several who were shot dead by police.

The clashes have intensified since a Jamaat leader was sentenced to life imprisonment for mass murder during the war in which the country’s secular government says three million people were k illed.

Jamaat says the trials are based on trumped up charges and are par t of a wider political vendetta against the opposition. The government of prime minister Sheikh Hasina rejects the accusations, saying the trials are needed to heal the wounds of the war. It accuses Jamaat leaders of being part of pro-Pakistani militias blamed for much of the 1971 carnage. — AFP

Japan PM wants good relations with S Korea WASHINGTON: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday he wanted a strong relationship with South Korea, which responded angrily over a rally in Japan against Seoul’s control of a set of islands.

The conservative Japanese leader sent an official to participate in the annual demonstration in western Shimane prefecture to exert Japan’s claims over small islets k nown as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese.

On a visit to Washington, Abe said that ties between the two US allies “cannot be severed ” due to the exchanges between their people, their economic relationship and shared challenge of North Korea. “I think the relationship that we have with South Korea and the cooperation that we can achieve is extremely important,” Abe said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“While we do have the Takeshima issue, I would like to try to work to resolve this issue and have a good relationship with South Korea.” Abe tasked Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso to travel to Seoul to attend tomorrow’s inauguration of president-elect Park GeunHye, whom Abe said he has met twice himself. In a sign of the deep family history among Asian leaders, Abe said that his grandfather-former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi-was “best friends” with Park’s father, late dictator Park Chung-Hee. The United States has been eager for Tokyo and Seoul to repair ties at a time when Japan’s relationship is increasingly tense with China over a separate set of sparsely populated islands. South Korea’s foreign ministr y lodged a protest after Abe’s government sent Aiko Shimajiri, a parliamentary secretary in the Cabinet Office, to the rally of around 500 people in Shimane.— AFP

DHAKA: Bangladeshi police fire rubber bullets at Islamist activists during a clash in Dhaka yesterday.—AFP

Party ever since the KPK kicked off an investigation into the sports complex development in 2010.

While the country has shown an improvement in tackling corruption over the past decade, that success has dwindled in recent years.

Last December it slid to 118th of 176 countries ranked by Transparency International’s annual index, which rates the least to the most corrupt states.— AFP

N Korea warns US forces of ‘destruction’ over war drills SEOUL: North Korea yesterday warned the top US militar y commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would “meet a miserable destruction” if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops, North Korean state media said.

Pak R im-su, chief delegate of the North Korean militar y mission to the i n te r - K o re a n t r u ce village of Pa n m u n j o m , g ave t h e m e s s a g e by phone to Gen James Thurman, the commander of the US Forces Korea, KCNA news agency said.

It came amid escalating tension on the divided Korean peninsula after the Nor th’s third nuclear test earlier this month, in defiance of UN resolutions, drew harsh international condemnation.

A d i re c t m e s s a g e f ro m t h e N o r t h’s Panmunjom mission to the US commander is rare. North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a p e a ce t re a t y. Th e U S - S o u t h K o re a n Combined Forces Command is holding an annual computer-based simulation war drill, Key Resolve, from March 11 to 25, involving 10,000 South Korean and 3,500 US troops.

The command also plans to hold Foal Eagle joint military exercises involving land, sea and air manoeuvres. About 200,000 Korean troops and 10,000 US forces are expected to be mobilized for the t wo month-long exercise which starts on March 1. “If your side ignites a war of aggression by staging the reckless joint military exercises...at this dangerous time, from that moment your fate will be hung by a thread with every hour,” Pak was quoted as saying. “ You had better bear in mind that those igniting a war are destined to m e e t a m i s e r a b l e d e s t r u c t i o n .”

Washington and Seoul regularly hold militar y exercises which they say are purely defensive. North Korea, which has stepped up its bellicose threats towards the United States and South Korea in recent months, sees them as rehearsals for invasion.

North Korea threatened South Korea with “final destruction” during a debate at the UN Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday. — Reuters

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

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ANALYSIS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

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Washington Watch

Obama, Kerry visit Mideast

By Dr James J Zogby n a week, John Kerry travels to the Middle East and the Arab Gulf states for his first trip as Secretary of State. A few weeks later, President Barack Obama will make his first trip to Israel as president, followed by his first visits to Palestine and Jordan. High on the agenda of both the president and secretary of state will be the civil war in Syria, and the regional crisis it has created, as well as Iran’s nuclear program. Earlier maiden voyages to the region by presidents and their emissaries have focused on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. I hope I am proven wrong, but I do not believe that we will see any serious effort to restart peace talks.

I say this not because I believe the White House has lost interest in resolving this critical conflict or because I think that they no longer understand that Israeli-Palestinian peace is vital to US interests in the region. The reason for my pessimism is simple: current conditions make progress impossible and pretending otherwise would be a fool’s errand. First and foremost, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, to date, been unable to form a government (this is the reason being given for why Kerry is not going to Israel). The recently completed Israeli election left the Prime Minister weakened. Ever the maneuverer, Netanyahu is attempting to cobble together a governing coalition by tilting this way and that -mixing secular and religious parties, advocates of renewed talks with the Palestinians with hardline opponents. He appears to thrive on dysfunction. The paralysis it produces allows him to rule while avoiding the tough decisions. Netanyahu will be forced to either call new elections or form a government of indecision. My bet is that, fearing a loss in new elections, desperation will win out and Netanyahu will form a weak governing coalition - able to expand settlements, but incapable of advancing peace.

The Palestinian situation is also dysfunctional. Unity talks between Fatah and Hamas have been fruitless. We once criticized the notion of an endless “peace process” that was all process and no peace. This appears to have been replaced by a “reconciliation process” that is all process and no reconciliation. Given their divisions, it is difficult to see how Palestinians can move forward with any peace-making effort. Not only are Israelis and Palestinians not in any position to make peace, but neither is the United States.

Despite President Obama’s reelection, nothing has changed in Washington’s inability to deal with Middle East peacemaking. The continued resistance of Congress to any reasoned discourse on Israel was on display this month during the debate over Chuck Hagel’s confirmation as Secretary of Defense. This debacle harkened back to the humiliating “smackdown” Congress delivered to the president in 2011 when they publicly supported Netanyahu’s position over that of their own president.

In this sorry state of affairs, it is hard to see any new bold initiatives coming from Washington. Israelis wouldn’t accept it.

Palestinians couldn’t do anything with it. And Congress wouldn’t support it. That doesn’t mean the White House will do nothing. The president can raise critical questions and support positive behavior while challenging bad behavior. He may speak out about settlements, warning that expanding these colonies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem will make peace impossible. Israelis will, no doubt, be told that the US will continue to support their security, but they should also be told to decide whether the future they seek is one of peace and partnership in a changing Middle East, or one in which they remain at war both internally and externally.

Additionally, the president can and should address Palestinian realities, giving support to Palestine’s civil society and business community. Laboring under the most difficult circumstances, support for these critical sectors is vital. No “fool’s errand, but a recognition of real needs and gestures of support may be all that can be expected at this time. Iran and Syria, however, will likely dominate the agenda of the president and his secretary of state. Both are pressing regional concerns that cannot be ignored and must be addressed. Kerry’s itinerary, including Turkey and several Gulf States, suggests that these topics are front and center on his agenda. The flood of Syrian refugees to Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon has become a humanitarian disaster. The refugees face dire conditions that must be addressed. They are taxing the resources of host countries. The humanitarian situation is especially important in Jordan. Also of concern is the fear that Syria’s violence and instability will spill over into the broader region.

Almost from the beginning, Syria’s civil war became a regional proxy war in which no one wins and everyone loses. 70,000 lives later, there are hints of an international initiative, with the US and Russia in the lead, to find a negotiated settlement. Though certainly difficult, there are hopes this effort can be advanced. For it to succeed, the Russians, Turks, and the Gulf states must be on board.

With Jordan’s King Abdullah fresh from a visit to Russia, this will be a critical topic of discussion. With talks beginning with the Iranians over their nuclear program, Gulf Arab states will want assurances that their concerns will be considered. Israel is again making unhelpful “red line” warnings. At this point, their threats of a military strike, though dangerous, ring hollow. With Iran losing popularity in the Arab World because of its involvement in Syria, the last thing the already unsettled Middle East region needs is for Israel to create a new disruption. They should be told to cool their rhetoric.

The agenda for these visits will be different than those of previous visits by presidents and secretaries of state. It will, no doubt, be disappointing to those desperate to see a resolution of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. But reality trumps aspirations. At this point, Syria and Iran are front and center.

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute

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All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait.

The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Britain’s pound slides under radar

By William Schomberg f there really is a global currency war going on, then Britain might appear to be one of its winners. But unlike Japan, which came in for heavy criticism from other countries for the recent plunge in the yen, the sharp fall in the value of the pound this year has avoided much attention from global policymakers. So far this year sterling has lost as much as 8 percent against the euro and almost 7 percent against the dollar. The fall picked up pace after signs this month that the governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, and his successor Mark Carney will not be rushing to tackle high inflation.

The latest fall in sterling began more recently than the controversial slide in the yen, which has lost about 16 percent of its value against the dollar since November on signs of a new, more aggressive stimulus approach by the Bank of Japan. But both have performed similarly since the start of 2013. They are both seen by many economists as candidates to be the weakest currencies among the world’s big developed economies as policymakers try to escape a rut of stagnant growth. “Governor King talked sterling down with perhaps somewhat more deftness than Japanese officials, but talk it down he did,” said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York.

As well as brushing aside the impact of a weak pound on inflation, King said last week that countries had the right to pursue stimulus, regardless of the exchange rate consequences. Unlike Japan, however, which has a history of intervening in foreign exchange markets, Britain’s tradition of a more hands-off approach to the pound is probably a reason for the lack of concern so far among

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other economies, Chandler said. “There’s no doubt King wants the pound to fall but he has stayed on the right side of the line,” he said, describing King’s approach as a low-level way of influencing markets.

On Wednesday, the pound fell nearly 1 percent against the dollar and the euro in a single day on news that King had pushed fellow policymakers, unsuccessfully so far, to print more money to buy further government debt. Another top Bank of England policymaker, Martin Weale, added to the selling pressure when he took the unusual step, for a central banker, of saying on Feb. 16 that the pound might need to fall further to rebalance the British economy.

Some analysts think that is likely to happen. “If the central bank continues in this way you have to think that $1.40/$1.42 could come into play within the next couple of quarters,” Hans Redeker, head of Global FX strategy at Morgan Stanley, said earlier this week. On Friday the pound was trading at around $1.53. A big fall in the value of the pound would pose risks. British consumers are already struggling to cope with high inflation while their wages grow only slowly. Higher prices for imports, including oil, would add to the pain.

The lack of concern about the pound’s fall may possibly also be because the wounded British economy and its feeble export performance pose little threat to other countries, and because the scale of problems elsewhere have been so huge. “The Brits are doing this quite neatly and have done so for years, by arguing inflation is higher and it’s always down to temporary effects,” said a euro zone monetary policy official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The Europeans were preoccupied with the euro zone, and ‘normal things’ like this went under the

radar screen.”

The calming of the euro zone crisis in recent months has caused the pound to lose some of its relative safehaven appeal. At the same time, weighing on the currency are signs that the British government will miss its austerity targets, probably triggering a downgrade of the country’s AAA credit rating and also failing to generate the confidence needed for growth. It remains to be seen if the weaker pound will provide any help to the country’s attempts to get back to financial health.

British goods exports, as a share of international trade, have done no more than hold their own since 2008 despite a sterling depreciation of around 20 percent since then, the Bank of England’s Weale said. That lacklustre performance has frustrated hopes for a manufacturing revival that could help wean Britain off its dependence on a weakened but still huge banking sector. “The BoE is a bit puzzled, as we are, as to why the depreciation in sterling ... has not lead to particularly strong recovery in UK exports,” said Anna Leach, head of economic analysis at British employers group CBI. She said the models normally used by economists to link export growth to currency depreciation no longer seemed to work.

Britain was probably attracting less attention over the fall in its currency than Japan because of the more pivotal role of the yen in foreign exchange trading. But that could change if Britain’s government and central bank are seen to be actively trying to engineer a new, lower level for the pound.

“The UK has always said it doesn’t aim for a target level,” Leach said. “It’s not entirely clear that that position has changed. I don’t think that it has. People will be holding fire on the UK until that time.” — Reuters

Netanyahu gambit appears to backfire

By Josef Federman sraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to bring a dovish rival into his Cabinet appears to be backfiring, drawing heavy criticism both in Israel and from the Palestinians and suddenly complicating the task of forming a viable coalition government, to the point where rivals are openly threatening to force new elections. It is now uncertain whether Netanyahu will meet an initial deadline next week for forming a new coalition, and it is possible that he will fail altogether and the task will be assigned to a rival, most likely former TV anchorman Yair Lapid, a new political star who heads the centrist Yesh Atid party.

Rivals are also openly talking about the possibility of forcing new elections, just a month after a parliamentary election ended in virtual deadlock. Polls Friday suggested that if repeat elections were held, Lapid, an amateur boxer, novelist and former actor who has never held public office, might be elected prime minister. Netanyahu has been scrambling to build a majority coalition in parliament since the Jan 22 election. As leader of the largest faction in parliament, Likud-Yisrael Beitenu, he has been charged with the responsibility for forming a new government. But with just 31 seats under his control, he is far short of the 61-seat majority, out of a total of 120 seats in parliament, needed for a coalition.

The array of rightist and religious parties considered Netanyahu’s natural allies did eke out 61 seats in the Jan. 22 election - but that informal alliance has long been strained over a host of internal disagreements and it is showing signs of collapse. That has forced Netanyahu to look elsewhere, outside of his political comfort zone.

This week, the hawkish leader seemed to find an unlikely new ally, announcing his first coalition deal with former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, appointing her justice minister and chief negotiator with the Palestinians.

The appointment was meant to signal that Netanyahu, who has come under heavy criticism internationally for the past four years of deadlock in Mideast peace efforts, is preparing to take a softer line toward the Palestinians in his new term. Livni is a former peace negotiator who has a good relationship with the Palestinian leadership and who is well respected internationally. The alliance also was meant to pressure other potential coalition partners to join him.

So far, Netanyahu’s gambit appears to be missing out on both counts. The appointment is generating little excitement, and Livni, who campaigned on a platform almost exclusively pushing for peace with the Palestinians, has been accused of selling out to the hardline Netanyahu. Livni’s new political party, “The Movement”, won just six parliamentary seats in last month’s election. Critics said

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that after spending the past four years lambasting Netanyahu’s policies, Livni appears desperate.

“Tzipi Livni is no less trustworthy or cynical than other politicians who broke their word, bent over backwards, put away their slogans and election speeches and galloped into the arms of the one they had described as the mother of all sin,” wrote commentator Yossi Verter in Haaretz newspaper.

Livni has said she thinks being inside the government gives her the best chance to influence policy.

The Palestinians, meanwhile, have accused Livni of becoming a “fig leaf” for Netanyahu. Officials said that unless he changes his policies, particularly continued settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, there is no hope for progress. Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, said Netanyahu brought on Livni to “give the impression that he is serious about peace” ahead of a visit next month by President Barack Obama. “We know very well that Livni has a good image in the international community, and now Netanyahu is using her in order to improve the image of Israel,” he said. “I know very well that Livni as a person wants peace, but at the end the decision is not hers. The decision is up to Netanyahu and his inner Cabinet.”

During his previous term, the Palestinians refused to negotiate with Netanyahu while Israel continues to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians claim both areas, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, for a future state. The Palestinians also want Israel to accept the 1967 prewar lines as the basis for a future border. Netanyahu has rejected these demands, saying talks should begin without any preconditions. But the international community has shown growing impatience with him.

In November, the UN General Assembly recognized a Palestinian state in the lands captured by Israel in 1967. The decision, while symbolic, marked an overwhelming international

endorsement of the Palestinian position on borders. When Israel responded by announcing plans for new settlements, it came under fierce international condemnations. Livni, who served as Israel’s chief negotiator under former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from 2006-2009, takes a far softer line toward the Palestinians. But there are already indications that Netanyahu will keep her on a short leash.

According to the text of the coalition agreement obtained

by The Associated Press, Netanyahu will be responsible for outlining the terms of the negotiations. While Livni will manage the negotiations, a representative of the prime minister will be present in every meeting she runs. Gilad Erdan of Netanyahu’s Likud party played down Livni’s role in peace talks with the Palestinians to Channel 2 TV on Friday. “She is not in charge of negotiations but rather part of a team of ministers that will of course be led by the prime minister. I think it is obvious to everybody that the prime minister is the one who will lead in these issues and will be the one to determine policy,” he said.

Netanyahu billed the alliance with Livni as a step toward building a broad and stable coalition. Yet her appointment may end up having just the opposite effect. With Livni on board, Netanyahu now controls 37 seats, still far short of a majority. He is now expected to court a pair of ultra-Orthodox religious parties. In the best case scenario, Netanyahu would still be several seats short of a majority. It will be virtually impossible for him to form a government without support of either Lapid’s “Yesh Atid” Party, or the “Jewish Home,” a nationalist party close to the Jewish settler movement.

Both parties campaigned on a key issue popular with the public - ending a controversial system of draft exemptions given to ultra-Orthodox seminary students. They have both been cool to sitting in a government that includes the ultraOrthodox, who oppose any changes in the draft. For now, they are maintaining a common front, signaling they want to serve together in the next government. Netanyahu is expected press Jewish Home hard to join him.

But so far, Jewish Home’s leader, Naftali Bennett, shows no signs of bending. If anything, the Livni appointment appears to have pushed him further away. Bennett, who opposes making any concessions to the Palestinians, reacted angrily to Livni’s appointment. “I don’t care about Abu Mazen,” he told a party conference this week, referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “I’m not interested in making him stronger. I care about the people of Israel.”

Ayelet Shaked, a member of Jewish Home, said Thursday the party still hopes to join the coalition, but that she could not rule out the possibility of forcing new elections. “Maybe we’ll be in the opposition. Elections are also an option,” she said. “We are prepared for every option.” Netanyahu has been given until March 2 to form a coalition. After that he can ask President Shimon Peres for a final two-week extension. A failure to reach a government by then could give Lapid a chance to form a coalition, or could trigger new elections.

Polls published Friday show that Likud would take a beating if a new election were held. —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

S P ORTS

Ex-Chelsea defender Elliott quits FA roles

Bradford chairman pulls plug on Europa dream

Bhupathi, Bopanna left out of Davis Cup squad

LONDON: Former Chelsea defender Paul Elliott has resigned from his roles with UEFA and the English Football Association after being accused of making offensive comments against another former player.

The FA says Elliott, a high-profile anti-racism campaigner, made “discriminatory abusive comments” to former Charlton defender Richard Rufus.

FA chairman David Bernstein says the language was “unacceptable regardless of its context and in effect has made Paul’s position untenable,” adding it has “accepted the resignation of Paul Elliott.” Elliot is leaving his roles as a member of UEFA’s football committee, the FA’s judicial panel and English football’s anti-racism body, Kick It Out. Earlier this month, Elliott became the first black football to receive the Commander of the Order of the British Empire award at Buckingham Palace for services to equality and diversity in football. — AP

LONDON: The co-chairman of minnows Bradford City has hinted that his side could opt out of competing in next season’s Europa League if they beat Swansea City in today’s League Cup final.

The League Two outfit are the first team from England’s fourth division to reach a major Wembley final and victory over Premier League Swansea would give them a berth in Europe’s second-tier cup competition.

However, co-chairman Mark Lawn says Bradford could turn down the opportunity to compete if the Europa League proves too costly. “I’m not going to pay to play in Europe,” he was quoted as saying in British tabloid newspaper The Sun. “When we beat Villa (in the semi-final), I was told, ‘You don’t really want to get into Europe-it costs you money in the early rounds.’

“I said, ‘Well, that’ll be fun, because if it costs us money, we won’t be there.’ “Realistically, it’s not going to be a problem because I don’t think we’re going to win against Swansea.” He added: “I won’t put us in fiscal danger to play in Europe. That’s not going to happen. I’m deadly serious.

“It’s all very well saying there are financial rewards once you get to the group stage. “But we’re a fourth-division club-realistically, we’re not going to get there.” — AFP

NEW DELHI: Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri returned to the Indian Davis Cup squad yesterday for the Asia-Oceania relegation series against Indonesia in April, but experienced players Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna were left out. All four were among a group of 11 who had refused to play against South Korea earlier this month owing to differences about team management, resulting in a 4-1 loss for the depleted Indian squad. The 11 agreed to play in the April 5-7 series after the All India Tennis Association conceded to several of their demands and on the condition that there will be a constant dialogue about any team management issues.

Sanam Singh and Leander Paes were the others selected in the squad, with Vijayant Malik and Sriram Balaji as the reserves. Sanam was also among the 11 rebels while Paes was the lone prominent name available for the previous series.

The rebels had refused to play against South Korea even though AITA had agreed to most of their demands, including selecting a new coach in former Davis Cup player Zeeshan Ali and firing team doctor Vece Paes. — AP

Danica brings new eyes to NASCAR and Daytona 500

KUWAIT: Runners seen taking rest.

‘Run Kuwait’ journey begins KUWAIT: The “Run Kuwait” journey began yesterday morning, from Abdaly border center. Runners crossed 50 km on Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Road, heading to Jahra.

The team spent the night in small tents, in preparation to resume their running this

morning on Jahra Road to cross 50 more kilometers, which will stop at Martyr Fahad Al-Ahmad Hall in Doha.

Head of the team Yousuf Al-Qinae said team members are fit and have high morale.

US joins Armstrong suit seeking ‘tens of millions’ WASHINGTON: Seeking “tens of millions” paid to Lance Armstrong for “years of broken promises”, the US government joined a lawsuit Friday alleging the doping cyclist defrauded former sponsor US Postal Service.

The government filed paperwork in federal court to join a lawsuit by Floyd Landis-a former Armstrong teammate stripped of the 2006 Tour de France crown for doping-after talks with Armstrong over damages issues broke down.

“Lance Armstrong and his cycling team took more than $30 million from the US Postal Service based on their contractual promise to play fair and abide by the rules-including the rules against doping,” said Ronald Machen, US Attorney for the District of Columbia.

“This lawsuit is designed to help the Postal Service recoup the tens of millions of dollars it paid out to (Armstrong’s) cycling team based on years of broken promises.”

US Postal, which did not sponsor the last of Armstrong’s seven stripped triumphs, paid $31 million in sponsorship fees from 2001-2004.

“In today’s economic climate, the US Postal Service is simply not in a position to allow Lance Armstrong or any of the other defendants to walk away with the tens of millions of dollars they illegitimately procured,” Machen said.

Landis claims Armstrong and manager Johan Bruyneel defrauded taxpayers and the government by having Armstrong and other riders use performance-enhancing drugs as Armstrong won a record seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005.

Armstrong, 41, was stripped of those titles last year after the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) uncovered overwhelming evidence, with testimony from 26 witnesses, that he was at the heart of a major doping conspiracy.

Armstrong admitted to being a dope cheat in a television interview with Oprah Winfrey last month. “The Postal Service has now seen its sponsorship unfairly associated with what has been described as ‘the most sophisticated, professionalized, and successful doping program that sport has ever seen,’” Machen said.

Financial hardships, caused in part by a federal requirement to pre -fund employee pensions, have the US Postal Service planning to cut Saturday delivery of mail in August.

Landis, who himself admitted to doping, filed his lawsuit under the False Claims Act, which allows citizens to sue for alleged fraud against the government and receive as much as a third of any money recovered.

The law allows for the recovery of treble damages or, in Armstrong’s case, triple the sum of the US Postal sponsorship. The US Justice Department move came two days after Armstrong told USADA he would not testify under oath about the details of the doping scheme, but he might have to provide such testimony if the lawsuit leads to a court trial.

That could help USADA’s ongoing look into Bruyneel and other details about how Armstrong got away with such a major doping conspiracy for so long without being stopped by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The US government, which will file its formal complaint within 60 days, is only joining the case against Armstrong, Bruyneel and the Tailwind team entity run by Armstrong, and not against several other defendants named in the suit.

“Today’s action demonstrates the Department of Justice’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding federal funds and making sure that contractors live up to their promises,” deputy assistant attorney general Stuart Delery said.

Armstrong had tried to settle the matter with US lawyers but failed because his attorneys claim US Postal benefitted from increased publicity as a sponsor associated with Armstrong during his days of glory.

“Lance and his representatives worked constructively over these last weeks with federal lawyers to resolve this case fairly, but those talks failed because we disagree about whether the Postal Service was damaged,” Armstrong attorney Robert Luskin said in a statement.

Armstrong’s camp also made public studies from 2002-2005 that valued the publicity benefits of the sponsorship deal at more than 300 percent of the money invested every year.

“The Postal’s Services own studies show that the Service benefited tremendously from its sponsorship-benefits totaling more than $100 million,” Luskin said. But there was no look at how links to the doping revelations of the past year might harm the US Postal Service’s reputation.

“It is critical that public confidence in contractor performance remains high,” said US Postal Service Inspector General David Williams.

“When that public trust is compromised, as occurred in this case, the Office of Inspector General will fully investigate.” In addition to the Landis lawsuit, Armstrong was sued on February 7 by a Texas insurance firm seeking $12 million for bonus money paid to the cyclist for Tour de France triumphs that no longer exist. — AFP

DAYTONA BEACH: The big boys brought their little girls to see NASCAR’s shining star. Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson all took their daughters to meet Danica Patrick this week at Daytona International Speedway. It was the ultimate backstage pass.

Patrick dropped to one knee, wrapped her right arm around Ella Gordon’s waist and posed for pictures as the 5-year-old flashed an endless grin in Victory Lane last week. Every day since, Patrick’s crew has handed out dozens and dozens of lugnuts to little girls clamoring for souvenirs. Annie Edwards wore GoDaddy green shoes for the special occasion. Evie Johnson recognizes only two cars, her Dad said - his and the green one.

“Carl was saying it’s good that she sees me in real life and in person because ‘To her, you are like some mythical creature that doesn’t exist,’ “ Patrick said. “Then after qualifying, Jimmie Johnson brought his little girl over. That’s three pretty big drivers who have little girls that wanted to meet me.”

Danicamania is in full bloom at Daytona - and with a brand new audience. The first woman in history to earn the top starting spot in a race at NASCAR’s elite Sprint Cup Series, Patrick will bring new eyeballs to Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500. She’ll lure in casual spor ts fans, women who don’t know a muffler from a manifold, and little girls in awe of the glamorous driver and her fast green car.

It’s an ambassador role Patrick has played since her 2005 debut at the Indianapolis 500, where she became the first woman to lead laps in the biggest race in the world. But it’s so much more now.

“You can only lead by example and I don’t necessarily want my example to step outside the box and be a girl in a guy’s world. That’s not what I am trying to say,” Patrick said. “But if you have a talent for something, do not be afraid to follow through with it and not feel different. Do not feel like you are less qualified or less competent to be able to do the job because you are different. Ignore that and let it be about what your potential is.”

And right now, she believes her potential is to win “ The Great American Race.” Patrick starts first on Sunday, next to four-time champion Gordon, and after running 32 laps in Friday’s practice and mixing it up with NASCAR’s biggest stars, she was more convinced than ever that she can be a player in the race. “Can I win? Yeah.

Absolutely,” Patrick said. “I feel comfortable in this kind of race situation. I feel comfortable in the draft.

I feel comfortable that the speeds are not a problem. I know I am inexperienced. I know I am rookie out there. I will do the best job I can to win. I do believe I have a chance to win. I do believe experience would help, but that doesn’t

mean I don’t have a chance to win.”

Crew chief Tony Gibson was even more convinced he’s got a winner for Sunday. He was part of Derrike Cope’s improbable 1990 victory, when Cope inherited the win when the late Dale Earnhnardt blew a tire on the final lap. “ She has got the talent,” Gibson said. “She’s already proven in the Nationwide Series, from what I’ve seen on the speedway stuff, she definitely gets the respect. People know she’s fast. She can draft. She knows how the air works. She gets a lot of that from IndyCar. So I have 100 percent confidence she can win the Daytona 500.

“I remember Derrike Cope, nobody gave him a chance, either, but I saw him in Victory Lane. I know it can be done.”

But the Daytona 500 is a pressure-packed race unlike anything except the Indy 500. Some of the best drivers never win it - it took seven-time champion Earnhardt 20 tries to finally get his lone win and Tony Stewart, Patrick’s teammate and car owner, goes into today’s race seeking his first victory in 15 tries.

He’s been quiet all week, except, of course, for the nine-car accident he started in an exhibition race last weekend. He lamented afterward, “ That is why I haven’t won a Daytona 500 yet. I’m not quite sure exactly which move to make.”

Don’t be fooled, though, by the three -time NASCAR champion.

Stewart might just like being out of the spotlight as he heads into one of the few races missing from his resume, and being the favorite for

the 500 has never worked out for him before. He wrapped up his practice with one final run Friday to test his race engine and wound up on top of the speed chart. It was Stewar t ’s intention to sit out Saturday’s final day of practice. “I’m excited we’ve made it through the whole week without a scratch on the car,” he said. “We are as ready as you can get for the 500. I feel like we’ve got a car capable of winning the race. It ’s just a matter of whether the driver does a good job with the steering wheel.”

The title of favorite this year goes to Kevin Harvick, who has two wins in two races so far at Speedweeks. The driver has dominated in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, led 63 of a possible 135 laps and didn’t even bother to take the cover off his car in Friday’s two practice sessions.

Harvick, the 2008 race winner, has come into the year with both focus and some inner peace after a pair of life-changing moments. His first child, son Keelan, was born after last July’s race at Daytona.

Then, in November, Harvick made the difficult decision to leave RCR after his 13th season with the organization that brought him into NASCAR and gave him his Cup ride the week after Earnhardt was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500.

He’ll drive for Stewart next season at Stewart-Haas Racing, but is determined to make this last year with RCR count. “Everybody is just working toward the same goal, that’s winning the races,” Harvick said. “ We have to be professional

anyway, whether it’s lame duck or not. You can call it whatever you want. We’re going to have a helluva lot of fun racing, having a good time, doing our jobs.”

The 500 will be the first with a full 43-car field racing NASCAR’s new Gen-6 car, which was designed all last season with input from teams, drivers and the manufacturers.

Part of the intent was to design a car that more closely resembled what the automakers sell in the showrooms, and NASCAR succeeded in that area. But NASCAR also needed a car that produced better on-track racing, and the verdict is not in yet.

There’s a lot of unknowns with the Gen-6 heading into today, partly because drivers spent Speedweeks learning as much as they can about how it handles on the track. All three races so far have been largely uneventful, resembling something closer to a long parade rather than a high-speed spectacle.

If not for Kyle Busch’s win in a Toyota in the second of Thursday’s twin qualifying races, it would so far be a Chevrolet rout with Har vick taking the new SS to Victory Lane twice and Patrick winning the pole in her Chevy.

All bets could be off on Sunday, Busch warned. “It might be we all ran single file because we were scared to run side-by-side,” Busch said after Thursday’s win. “I don’t k now. I was ready to put on a show, but I didn’t have enough people around me to make one happen.” — AP

DAYTONA BEACH: Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Fastenal Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway yesterday in Daytona Beach, Florida. —AFP

Hufner wins luge World Cup meet SOCHI: Olympic luge champion Tatjana Hufner edged out two other Germans to win the women’s singles in the final World Cup meet of the season, a test event for the Sochi Winter Games next year.

World champions Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt of Germany won the men’s doubles, beating compatriots Peter Penz and Georg Fischer by 0.134 seconds. Olympic silver medalists Andris Sics and Juris Sics of Latvia were third.

The Saturday runs came under difficult conditions, with air temperature around 10 C (50 F) and light rain. Despite the poor weather and previous complaints about ice quality at the track, called Sanki, athletes expressed strong satisfaction with the ice and track design.

Natalie Geisenberger, the current world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, finished second in the women’s race, but had already won the overall World Cup before the competition started. Anke Wischnewski was third.

Wendl and Arlt also came to Sochi knowing

they already had the World Cup, but “this is the Olympic track and we had to do our best,” Arlt said. Geisenberger had the fastest women’s time of the day at 50.894 seconds in the first run, but Hufner’s two-run combined time of 1 minute 41.922 seconds was 0.038 faster. Wischnewski placed second in the overall World Cup standings and Hufner was third.

Although bobsledders and skeleton riders had complained about rough ice at the Sanki track earlier in February, Saturday’s sliders gave it good reviews.

“It is maybe my favorite track,” Hufner said after her win. “It has its character.” Luge is still shadowed by the death of Georgia’s Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training run at Whistler for the 2010 Olympics. The Sanki track addresses some of the safety concerns that arose after Kumaritashvili’s death, including three negative slopes that slow sliders’ speed slightly.

“I think the track is rather safe. There were no major falls” during training or competition, Hufner said. American Emily Sweeney fell in the

first run Saturday after going sideways in a curve. She struggled back onto the luge and ended up crossing the finish line headfirst.

“I’ve probably had the worst ride today of anybody, and I felt safe,” she said. Wischnewski added: “I think the track forgives some mistakes.”

However, Sweeney noted that the negative slopes on the 16-curve track might be a disadvantage for some.

“As one of the smaller athletes, let’s say it doesn’t work in my favor,” she said. American Julia Clukey praised the track’s design. “It’s a unique track. It’s fun to slide on,” she said, noting that several of the cur ves are a challenge because they start uphill, then drop.

Complaints arose at the bobsled and skeleton World Cup meet at Sanki about poor ice quality, but the women sliders said those failings apparently had been ironed out. “We had heard a lot about that and we were sitting in Calgary dreading coming here,” said Canada’s Arianne Jones.

But “you can tell they put in a lot of work and there are no problems at all.” — AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

S P ORTS

Donald, Oosthuizen out in Match Play upsets

PATTAYA: Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand plays a shot during the third round of the Honda LPGA Thailand golf tournament in Pattaya yesterday. — AFP

Red-hot Ariya storms into lead, Lewis wobbles PATTAYA: Teen golfing sensation Ariya Jutanugarn tore into a three-shot lead on home soil at the Honda LPGA Thailand yesterday, as overnight leader Stacy Lewis wobbled in a see-sawing third round.

Trailing world number three Lewis by three shots at the start of play, the 17-yearold Thai delighted the crowd with seven birdies, including five in a row, to finish at a two-under 70 for the day, and 205 for the tournament with one day to go.

The chasing pack-at eight-under after three days-comprises Lewis, who posted an error-strewn four-over 76, Beatriz Recari of Spain who made par and Se Ri Pak, who leads the Korean contingent and recorded a solid one-under.

Her compatriot Inbee Park sits at sevenunder, with American Lizette Salas and Korean So-Yeon Ryu tied a shot further back-the latter providing one of the day’s highlights with a delightful chip in from the bunker.

It was a tough day to make low scores, with most cards peppered with bogeys something Recari attributed to the windy conditions.

“On the front nine there were some tricky pins. The other nine it seemed like the greens were much faster,” the Spaniard said after her round, which left her within

striking distance of Ariya. “I would love to be in the first spot but definitely we can reach (Ariya). So I’m pretty confident for tomorrow and in a good position.”

The Thai goes into the final day on the back of two blistering rounds of golf which have belied her callow years and heaped pressure on her more experienced rivals.

She put Lewis on the back foot with a birdie at the par five first and the American then went on to drop two shots as her confidence appeared to ebb away.

But Lewis’s three-shot lead was restored by the end of the front nine with a birdie boosted by a nightmare double-bogey for the Thai youngster on the ninth.

Undeterred, Ariya bounced into the back nine, notching a remarkable run of five birdies to the delight of the partisan crowd at the Siam Country Club in Pattaya.

Lewis cut an increasingly frustrated figure as she bogeyed the last three holes-a scuffed shot to the final green summing up a day littered with mistakes.

It was another fairly uninspiring day for world number one Tseng Yani of Taiwan, who made par for the day but sits well out of contention at one-under, having failed to recover from a shocking first round. — AFP

New wrestling chief promises swift rules GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN: Wrestling needs to overhaul its often mystifying rules as the sport seeks against the odds to retain its Olympic status, according to the new interim president of the international wrestling federation.

Wrestling had itself partly to blame for the International Olympic Committee’s decision to drop the sport from 2020, Nenad Lalovic told The Associated Press by phone yesterday. Wrestling, one of the games’ foundation sports, could be reinstated although it seems unlikely.

Lalovic said wrestling urgently needs more user-friendly rules that would benefit spectators, television and athletes alike. “If an Olympic champion of 20 years ago were to attend a wrestling tournament now, he probably could not tell what is going on,” Lalovic said from his headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, the seat of FILA, the international governing body.The overtime draw in which a wrestler draws a colored ball to determine his or her position - and the clinch, are just some of the chief complaints of spectators and broadcasters.

“Wrestling has become a sport purely for experts. We have to have seminars for referees before major events.

“The rules have to be clearer and the sport more attractive and spectacular. I would like a spectator to come into an area and know all the rules by the time he or she goes out.”

Lalovic said he would also like to have a ranking and seeding system. “Now, you can have the champion lose in the very first bout in the morning,” he said. At some tournaments, wrestlers can end up having as many as seven bouts in a day, way too many for his liking.

“Our first priority is to change the rules but it cannot happen overnight,” he said.

He said wrestling was caught offguard by

the IOC decision. The move has forced wrestling to compete with fringe sports for a spot on the 2020 program.

“It was completely unexpected for FILA,” Lalovic said. Lalovic, a Serb, became FILA’s interim president one week ago, following the resignation of Raphael Martinetti at the the federation’s executive committee meeting in Thailand. While wrestling may have been the target of pressure and lobbying by other sports, Lalovic acknowledged there had been problems in the flow of information between FILA and the IOC. No longer one of the 25 core Olympic sports in 2020, wrestling must compete with seven other contenders - baseball and softball, squash, wakeboarding, sport climbing, roller sports and the martial arts of karate and wushu - in lobbying to earn the last spot on the program for those games, which have yet to be awarded to a host city.

The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to choose which sports to propose for inclusion in 2020. The final vote will be made at the IOC general assembly in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Lalovic has just returned from Moscow and said Russia was mounting opposition to the IOC’s decision “in relation to the importance of wrestling in the country.” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has said the country will do everything it can to help wrestling. Russia has dominated the sport in the last two decades.

Even Iran and the United States have established a rare alliance to keep wrestling Olympic despite political hostility between them. “The Olympic spirit was born with wrestling,” Lalovic said. Wrestling was part of the games in ancient Greece and featured in the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. — AP

MARANA: Luke Donald and Louis Oosthuizen followed Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods out of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship on Friday with second-round defeats. One day after the fickle nature of the match play format was amply demonstrated by the first-round upsets of world number one McIlroy and number two Woods, seeds continued to tumble.

American Scott Piercy thumped England’s world number three Donald 7 and 6, taking the lead at the first hole where Donald opened with a double bogey.

Piercy won the next two holes with a birdie followed by another bogey from Donald, and went 4-up at the fifth when he holed out from more than 200 yards away for an eagle.

He sealed the match with one last birdie, sinking a four-footer to close it out at 12. His victory over the 2011 winner of this World Golf Championships event was the most lopsided result of the week so far.

“I played well, and he was off a little bit,” Piercy said. “That’s why it looked so one-sided.”

Donald, who characterized his game as “just very average,” was the top seed in his quarter and third seed overall in the 64-man field behind world number one McIlroy and number two Woods, who both fell in the snow-delayed first round on Thursday.

Fourth overall seed Oosthuizen, a former Masters champion from South Africa, joined the exodus of bracket leaders as he was beaten 3 and 2 by American Robert Garrigus.

England’s Justin Rose, the overall fifth seed, was also on his way home, falling 4 and 2 to Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts. It marked the third time in the last five years that the top four seeds failed to make it past the second round.

By the end of the day, reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson was the only one of the tournament’s top 10 seeds remaining-and only after battling to a victory over Jim Furyk at the 22nd hole. “This game... it’s a toss-up,” Watson said. “You can’t really judge who’s going to win,

or bet who’s going to win. It really means nothing.”

Ireland’s Shane Lowry showed no letdown after his triumph over McIlroy, advancing with a convincing 6 and 5 victory over Sweden’s Carl Petterson. He’s the first 64th seed to reach the third round in the 15-year history of the event.

Lowry booked a third-round match against another old friend from Northern Ireland, Graeme McDowell-who finally put away Sweden’s Alexander Noren at the 20th hole. “I struggled to get to sleep last night,” Lowry admitted. “I played solid all day. I made a few birdies and didn’t do anything wrong, which is key in match play.”

Friday’s second round was a day behind schedule after a desert snowstorm cut short play on Wednesday. Organizers planned to get back on track with third-round matches on Saturday morning followed by quarter-finals in the afternoon. US Open champion Webb Simpson moved on with a 1-up win over Sweden’s Peter Hanson. Simpson next faces Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who cruised to a 6 and 5 victory over American Charles Howell a day after Howell outdueled Woods. Defending champion Hunter Mahan defeated South African Richard Sterne 4 and 3 and former champion Ian Poulter of England downed American Bo Van Pelt 3 and 1. — AFP

MARANA: Webb Simpson hits his tee shot on the par 4 14th hole during the third round of the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play at the Golf Club against Gonzalo FdezCastano of Spainat Dove Mountain yesterday in Marana, Arizona. — AFP

Peterson stops Holt, keeps light-welterweight crown WASHINGTON:- Lamont Peterson, showing no rust after a 14-month layoff, stopped Kendall Holt in the eighth round on Friday to retain the International Boxing Federation light-welterweight crown.

Peterson, once a homeless child on the streets of the US capital where he defended his title, improved to 31-1-1 with his 16th stoppage inside the distance when referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight after 1:42 of the eighth.

Holt fell to 28-6 with his fourth loss in seven fights when Peterson stunned him with a right to the head and finished him off against the ropes with a flurry of unanswered punches that prompted Weeks to jump between the fighters. “That last time I caught him against the ropes, I just let my hands go,” Peterson said. “I let him have everything and I knew I

had him.” Peterson, 29, ended a 14month layoff following a positive doping test for synthetic testosterone that scrapped a planned fight with England’s Amir Khan last May. Holt, 31, ended an 11-month layoff after right shoulder surgery.

Peterson, who blamed his positive test on treatments for low testosterone, was stripped of the World Boxing Association title, one of two he took from Khan in a controversial victory at Washington in December of 2011. But the IBF, after hiring its own medical expert and conducting more tests that found no performance advantage, kept Peterson as champion, giving him the chance to defend his title and reputation. The bout brought only $37,500 for Peterson and $12,500 for Holt, but could offer Peterson a possible big-money unification show-

down. Unbeaten American Danny Garcia, 25-0 with 16 knockouts, will defend the WBA and World Boxing Council crowns in April against US southpaw Zab Judah (42-7 with 29 knockouts), who rejected a Peterson fight for the bigger Garcia payday.

“Danny Garcia holds that belt. I still think I’m the WBA champion,” Peterson said. “I would like to see that fight.” After a cautious start, Holt pressed the attack to start the fourth round, keeping Peterson on the defensive, but the champion deflected the worst of Holt’s blows and answered with a hard right that sent Holt to the canvas.

The challenger crumpled and fell forward onto his knees, but rose and answered the count moments before the end of the fourth.

Peterson punished Holt for most of the fifth, a weary Holt pinning him

against the ropes with his body at one stage but gaining little relief from hammering punches to the head and body.

“When he did hit me with one of his punches and it was right on the button and I felt nothing, I knew I had him,” Peterson said.

In the sixth, Peterson kept Holt to the ropes and landed more than a dozen rapid-fire punches to only one in response from Holt, who kept his arms raised as cover and took a knee, rising to finish the round but clearly in trouble.

Holt hugged, evaded and jabbed to keep Peterson at bay in the seventh but in the eighth, Peterson stunned Holt with a solid right to the head and launched a series of punches with Holt on the ropes until Weeks stepped between the fighters to end the punishment. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Lamont Peterson is ushered to the neutral corner after knocking down Kendall Holt in the fifth round of their IBF Junior Welterweight World Championship match at the DC Armory in Washington, DC, on Friday. Peterson retained his title on an 8th round TKO. — AFP

Sex motels revamp for World Cup, Olympics RIO DE JANEIRO: A shortage of hotel rooms has led Rio authorities to invest millions of dollars to convert raunchy motels to accommodate the legions of tourists expected for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 summer Olympics.

Shalimar, located in the upscale beach district of Leblon, is one of 60 such “sex” motels undergoing a facelift and already 30 of its 62 rooms have been remodeled and given a minimalist look.

That means out with the red carpets, the mirrors, the heart-shaped water bed and the chains on the walls. Outside one debris-filled room, a large Venus sculpture, dirty and broken, lies forlornly, destined for the garbage dump.

According to Rio Negocios, the city’s

investment promotion board, more than $100 million has been earmarked to convert 3,500 of Rio’s 6,500 motel rooms, with local authorities providing tax incentives.

“There is a problem of (hotel room) supply but we are working on it,” Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told AFP in a recent interview.

“We have an additional 16,000 beds, or double what we pledged to the International Olympic Committee. We will even use love motels. This is something new. That could be an adventure for a couple, an opportunity for new experiences.”

Rio de Janeiro, which is home to six million people, currently has 32,436

rooms: 20,414 in hotels and 12,022 spread out in motels, apartment hotels, inns and hostels.

The goal is to bring the total up 47 percent to 47,788 by 2015. “Motels will be an option for those who come to Rio, along with budget hotels in upscale areas of the city,” said Alfredo Lopes, president of the Brazilian Association of Hotel industry (ABIH-RJ).

Traditionally, local sex motels are chock-full during the high seasonCarnival or the New Year-or during highprofile events such as the 1992 Earth Summit and the visit by the late Pope John Paul II in 1997. “Foreign dignitaries would troop to their motels after their activities and ran into regular clients. It

was a strange atmosphere,” recalled Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo. And he welcomed as a “good idea” moves to convert the motels into “real hotels”.

The conversion process began two years ago but accelerated last June with the holding of the UN Rio+20 environment summit. There is also a growing demand for affordable, quality accommodation for staff of the many oil companies that have recently set up operations in the Rio area.

And motel employees are getting special training and language courses to deal with this new clientele.

Motel boom in 1970s-The boom in sex motels reached its peak in the 1970s and 1980s. “Every teenager wanted to

reach the age of 18 to be able to visit a motel,” recalled Antonio Cerqueira, the Shalimar owner and vice-president of ABIH-RJ. But the boom ended due to the economic crisis in the late 1990s, the proliferaion of AIDS cases and a cultural change in families.”Before you could not imagine bringing your girlfriend in your parents’ home but in the past few years it has become normal,” Lopes said.

Meanwhile at the Shalimar, one room dubbed “the Medieval” has been spared.

Adorned with chains and granite ornaments simulating a castle tower, it is one of most sough-after by the traditional clientele. “If we tamper with it, they (the clients) will kill us,” said a Shalimar employee, flashing a wide grin. — AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

S P ORTS

Seven-wicket Abbott sends Pakistan crashing CENTURION: Kyle Abbott took seven for 29 on his Test debut to send Pakistan crashing to 156 all out on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park yesterday.

Pakistan, forced to follow on 253 runs behind, were 14 for one at the close, with Mohammad Hafeez bowled by Dale Steyn with the first ball of the second innings. It left Pakistan facing an almost hopeless task as they tried to avoid a series whitewash.

Abbott, 25, was called into the South African squad as cover for the fast bowlers when regular reserve Rory Kleinveldt was named to replace the injured Morne Morkel. The Dolphins fast bowler, the leading wicket-taker in domestic first-class cricket, found himself in the team when allrounder Jacques Kallis suffered a calf injury the day before the match.

He bowled a tight line at a lively pace to take two wickets in an initial Pakistan collapse, which saw them slip from 46 for no wicket to 75 for four, then had a spell of five for five as the lower order and tail crumbled.

Six of his wickets were to catches in the slip cordon before he finished off the innings by trapping Younis Khan leg before wicket after the Pakistan veteran had battled for two-and-a-half hours and 86 balls to make 33. Younis barely had time to take his pads off before he had to face the second ball of the follow-on innings.

Imran Farhat, who made the top score of 30 in the first innings, did not open the batting in the second innings after being struck on the hand in the first innings.

Azhar Ali opened with Hafeez, with Younis moving up to number three. AB de Villiers earlier reached his 16th Test century

and his third against Pakistan. He went on to make 121 before being caught in the deep off left-arm opening bowler Rahat Ali, who finished with six for 127 on his Test debut as South Africa were all out for 409.

Vernon Philander made a Test best score of 74 in helping De Villiers stretch their overnight partnership of 86 to 129 — a record seventh wicket stand for South Africa against Pakistan-before he was caught low down at first slip by Mohammad Hafeez off part-time bowler Younis Khan.

Pakistan were without fast bowler Ehsan Adil, who suffered a calf injury on Friday. De Villiers made his runs off 215 balls with 15 fours, while Philander faced 113 balls and hit nine boundaries. Rahat bowled a mixture of wicket-taking deliveries with some poorly directed balls, conceding close to five runs an over. His analysis included six no-balls and six wides.

Pakistan made easily their best start of the series as Farhat and Hafeez put on 46 for the first wicket.

But Pakistan were quickly back in perilous territory when Philander returned for his second spell as he and Abbott took three wickets in successive overs. Abbott followed up with a second wicket when he dismissed Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq shortly before tea.

Philander trapped Farhat leg before for 30 before Abbott, with his sixth ball in Test cricket, had Hafeez caught low down at gully for 18. Philander then bowled Azhar Ali for six, with the batsman edging a ball which kept low into his stumps. Misbah fell to a superb diving catch by Alviro Petersen at second slip off the tall, strongly-built Abbott. — AFP

AUCKLAND: England celebrates after winning the 3rd and final one-day international cricket match between New Zealand and England played at Eden Park in Auckland yesterday. — AFP

Clinical England win ODI series against N Zealand McCullum produces second explosive innings

PRETORIA: Pakistan’s Younis Khan play ins a shot against South Africa during the second day of the 3rd cricket test match in Pretoria, South Africa. — AFP

SCOREBOARD PRETORIA: Scoreboard at the close of the second day of the third test between South Africa and Pakistan at Centurion yesterday: South Africa first innings (334 for six overnight) G. Smith c Younus Khan b Adil 5 A. Petersen lbw Rahat Ali 10 H. Amla c Sarfraz b Rahat Ali 92 F. du Plessis c Sarfraz b Adil 29 AB de Villiers c Shafiq b Rahat Ali 121 D. Elgar lbw b Rahat Ali 7 R. Peterson run out 28 V. Philander c Hafeez b Younus Khan74 K. Abbot b Rahat Ali 13 R. Kleinveldt c Ajmal b Rahat Ali 0 D. Steyn not out 5 Extras (b-1 lb-6 w-6 nb-12) 25 Total (all out, 103.2 overs) 409 Fall of wickets: 1-13 2-38 3-107 4-186 5186 6-248 7-377 8-394 9-402 10-409 Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 21.5-3-80-0 (3nb), Rahat Ali 27.2-1-127-6 (6nb, 6w), Ehsan Adil 12.1-2-54-2 (3nb), Saeed Ajmal 29-6-76-0, Younus Khan 6-0-28-1, Mohammad Hafeez 5-0-24-0, Azhar Ali 20-13-0.

Pakistan first innings Mohammad Hafeez c Elgar b Abbott 18 Imran Farhat lbw Philander 30 Azhar Ali b Philander 6 Younus Khan lbw Abbott 33

Misbah-ul-Haq c Petersen b Abbott 10 Asad Shafiq lbw Steyn 6 Sarfraz Ahmed c Smith b Abbott 17 Saeed Ajmal c Smith b Abbott 0 Ehsan Adil c Du Plessis b Abbott 9 Mohammad Irfan c Elgar b Abbott 0 Rahat Ali not out 0 Extras (lb-17 w-8 nb-2) 27 Total (all out, 46.3 overs) 156 Fall of wickets: 1-46 2-56 3-56 4-75 5-95 6-132 7-132 8-149 9-149 10-156 Bowling: Steyn 12-5-25-1 (1w), Philander 10-2-30-2 (1w), Kleinveldt 12-1-49-0 (1nb, 1w), Abbott 11.4-4-29-7 (1nb 1w), Peterson 1-0-6-0.

Pakistan second innings (follow-on) Mohammad Hafeez b Steyn 0 Azhar Ali not out 5 Younus Khan not out 8 Extras (lb-1) 1 Total (for one wicket, 9 overs) 14 Fall of wickets: 1-0 To bat: Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Ehsan Adil, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali Bowling: Steyn 4-1-9-1, Philander 3-2-20, Abbott 1-1-0-0, R. Kleinveldt 1-0-2-0 South Africa won the toss and elected to bat.

Bangladesh Shakib set to miss S Lanka tour DHAKA: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is unlikely to tour Sri Lanka next month after he was advised to undergo surgery on his shin, the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s chief medical officer said yesterday.

“The BCB has granted him permission to undergo surgery as per the advice of a specialist in Australia,” Debashish Chowdhury told reporters.

“Shakib will be out of action for at least six weeks after the operation.”

Shakib is visiting Australia to get an expert opinion on the injures that have been troubling him since Bangladesh’s home series against West Indies in November last year.

He missed the five-match one-day international series against West Indies because of a stress reaction on his shinbone but

made a comeback in the recently held domestic Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

During the BPL, in which he was named player of the tournament, Shakib was diagnosed with exertional compartment syndrome, an exercise-induced problem that causes pain over the front of the shinbone.

“Normally surgery is not always very necessary to recover from this type of injury. But the BCB does not want to risk him aggravating it further as he has some other injuries,” said Chowdhury.

“A final decision on when or where the surgery will be conducted will be taken on Monday.”

Bangladesh will play two tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 International in Sri Lanka from March 8-31. — Reuters

AUCKLAND: Eoin Morgan and Joe Root ensured England completed a comfortable fivewicket victory over New Zealand in the third and final one day international match at Eden Park yesterday to wrap up the series.

Root (28 not out) and Morgan (39) built on the foundation laid by captain Alastair Cook (46) and Jonathan Trott (38) as England reached 186 for five in 37.3 overs to complete the 2-1 series victory.

England’s opening bowlers James Anderson and Steve Finn had set up the victory when they helped bowl the hosts out for a paltry 185 in 43.5 overs, with New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (79) the only batsman to provide any resistance.

Anderson and Finn put immense pressure on the top order to reduce the hosts to 11 for three inside eight overs, which ensured they never got their innings going as they were unable to take too many risks and lost wickets at regular intervals.

“It’s great to be bowling at the other end from Jimmy,” Finn said in a televised interview.

“He’s one of the best, if not the best fast bowler in the world so to be bowling at the other end and learn and feed off him has been brilliant.

“Our job is to take wickets in the first 10 overs and fortunately we have done that in the last couple of games and it seems to have pegged New Zealand back early.” Apart from McCullum’s fireworks for the second successive match, Ross Taylor’s dismissal for 28 was the only other talking point in New Zealand’s innings that was at least 100 runs short of a competitive target on the small ground.

Taylor was given out by umpire Chris

Gaffaney after he appeared to nick a delivery from Stuart Broad to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, though the batsman immediately asked for it to be reviewed. None of the review tools available, especially ‘hot spot’ that shows whether a batsman has hit the ball, appeared conclusive, but television umpire Rod Tucker upheld the on-field umpire’s decision to Taylor’s visible annoyance.

Finn was the pick of England’s bowlers, hav-

ing figures of three for 10 from eight overs before McCullum, who clubbed five sixes in his rear-guard action, and Andrew Ellis took 17 runs from his ninth over. Finn finished with three for 27.

England now move to Queenstown for a fourday match against a New Zealand XI before the first of three tests begins at Dunedin’s University Oval on March 6. — Reuters

SCOREBOARD AUCKLAND: Collated scores in the third one-day international between New Zealand and England at Eden Park yesterday: New Zealand B. Watling c Swann b Finn 1 H. Rutherford c Buttler b Finn 2 K. Williamson c Buttler b Anderson 7 R. Taylor c Buttler b Broad 28 G. Elliott run out Finn/Buttler 24 B. McCullum c Anderson b Swann 79 J. Franklin c & b Swann 13 N. McCullum c Cook b Finn 4 A. Ellis c Woakes b Broad 9 K. Mills lbw Woakes 2 T. Southee not out 5 Extras (lb 3, w 8) 11 Total (all out; 43.5 overs) 185 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Watling), 2-11 (Williamson), 3-11 (Rutherford), 4-64 (Elliott), 5-67 (Taylor), 6-99 (Franklin), 7-109 (N.McCullum), 8-146 (Ellis), 9-150 (Mills), 10185 (B. McCullum) Bowling: Anderson 8-1-34-1 (3w), Finn 9-3-273 (2w), Woakes 9-0-34-1 (2w), Broad 9-0-38-2, Swann 8.5-0-49-2 (1w)

England A. Cook c Watling b Southee 46 I. Bell c Rutherford b Ellis 24 J. Trott c Watling b Southee 38 J. Root not out 28 E. Morgan c Mills b Ellis 39 J. Buttler c Watling b Southee 3 C. Woakes not out 3 Extras (lb 1, w 4) 5 Total (for five wickets: 37.3 overs 186 Fall of wickets: 1-42 (Bell), 2-109 (Trott), 3-112 (Cook), 4-168 (Morgan), 5-171 (Buttler) Bowling: Mills 7.3-0-34-0 (1w), Southee 10-148-3 (3w), Ellis 8-0-35-2, N. McCullum 7-0-39-0, Williamson 1-0-9-0, Franklin 4-0-20-0 Did not bat: S. Broad, G. Swann, S. Finn, J. Anderson Toss: England, who elected to bowl Result: England win by five wickets Series: England win 2-1

Wales dominate Azzurri to keep title bid on track ROME: Second-half tries by Jonathan Davis and Alex Cuthbert helped seal a 26-9 win over Italy and keep Wales’ Six Nations title defence on track in difficult conditions at the Olympic Stadium here yesterday.

Wales went in at half-time 9-6 to the good after Leigh Halfpenny kicked three penalties to the two coverted for the hosts by Kris Burton.

However neither team would boast of dominating the other in a dire opening half beset by periodic spells of heavy rain.

Wales, looking for their second win of the tournament having beaten France in Paris after an opening defeat to Ireland, finally found their stride after the interval.

“It was a good performance, especially up front,” said Davies. “The boys were fantastic and worked really hard. As a backline we had to keep our errors down and put them in the right places. “To be fair, the pack were on fire today.”

Italy, however, were unlucky not to be rewarded in the first minute of the second half when the Welsh defence were guilty of handling errors. Only Tomasso Benvenuti’s failure to collect the ball and carry it over the tryline from two metres out stopped the hosts from earning a potential game-changing try.

In near desperation minutes later Burton tried to make amends but, for the second time in the game, missed a drop goal from 30 metres out. Italy were without captain Sergio Parisse, who was banned for 30 days after insulting the refeere while playing for Stade Francais.

Although his replacement, Fijian-born No 8 Manoa Vosawai, proved efficient, Parisse’s absence appeared to tell as the hosts failed to really get going as they had against France in a 23-18 win in their tournament opener. Italy’s earlier fumble was to prove costly minutes later when they failed to deal with Mike Phillips’ short kick deep into territory, allowing Davies to collect from five metres out and touch down unchallenged.

Halfpenny converted to give Wales a 16-6 lead. To their credit, Italy-who succumbed 34-10 to Scotland in their second game at Murrayfieldresponded positively. After full back Andrea

Masi’s kick into touch deep in Welsh territory, the hosts won the line-out and briefly threatened metres out from the tryline.

Minutes later Burton gave Italy their first points of the half when he kicked a penalty from 25 metres out, however the arrival of Paul James and Alun Wyn Jones to the Welsh pack immediately paid dividends when yet another Italian scrum infringement gave the visitors a penalty.

From 40 metres out, Halfpenny saw his angled kick go between the posts to restore Wales’ 10-point lead. Italy replaced Andrea Lo Cicero, Ghiraldini and Francesco Minto with Davide Giazzon, Alberto De Marchi and Quintin Geldenhuys respectively in the 55th minute.

But despite a brief flurry inside Wales’ 22, Italy were left a man down when Martin Castrogiovanni, standing in as captain for

Parisse, was sin-binned for persistent infringements at the scrum.

A superb push to the Italian 22 by Phillips gave Wales possession and when Gonzalo Canale was caught cold by a dummy runner, Cuthbert was free to run through for his seventh try in 16 international matches.

Halfpenny’s flawless kicking continued when he converted from the right touchline to give the visitors a virtually unassailable lead of 26-9.

Italy then failed to capitalise at the lineout after Burton kicked a penalty deep into territory.

Wales sent on Sam Warburton, who captained the side to the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup but started on the bench, although he replaced Ryan Jones and not Justin Tipuric.

James Hook also provided some extra spark for the remainder, in which a toothless Italy failed to threaten. — AFP

LONDON: England’s Chris Robshaw, center, is tackled by France’s Benjamin Kayser, left, during their Six Nations rugby union match at Twickenham Stadium in London, yesterday. — AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

S P ORTS

Blackhawks set NHL record with 2-1 win over Sharks CHICAGO: For 17 games, nobody has been able to beat the Chicago Blackhawks in regulation. Now they own the best start in NHL history all to themselves. The Blackhawks set an NHL record for the best start to a season, beating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Friday night to give them at least one point in their first 17 games.

Rookie Brandon Saad’s short-handed goal early in the third period - and with 3 seconds left on a San Jose power play snapped a 1-all tie and stood up as the game-winner. Chicago (14-0-3) won its fourth straight game to break a mark set by the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks, who earned points in their first 16 games.

The Blackhawks equaled that run Tuesday with a shootout win over Vancouver. “It’s nice to get another win and make history,” the 20-year-old Saad said.

“Our group’s had a great year so far, so we never expect anything less.

“We’re celebrating the win now. I’m sure it will sink in a little bit more tomorrow, but it’s awesome to be part of history.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville also reflected on the record, but not for long. “ The guys should be proud of the achievement, the accomplishment,” he said.” I just think we shouldn’t be happy with where we’re at. We just want to keep trying to get better.” Saad scored the goahead goal after closing in on the left wing one-on-one with San Jose defenseman Brent Burns. After a quick fake, Saad fired a shot from the circle that beat San Jose’s Antti Niemi just under the glove 2:24 into the period.

“I just took him (Burns) wide and tried to get a shot off,” Saad said. “Luckily, I beat (Niemi) glove side. Sometimes power-play guys drop back a little, and I took advantage of it.” Burns gave Saad too much room on the play, however, according to San Jose coach Todd McLellan.

“I thought that we let a player that wasn’t very dangerous - not because he’s not talented or anything - but a player in a situation that wasn’t very dangerous skate into a primary scoring spot without even challenging him,” McLellan said.

“I’m not sure if our goalie was on the angle or not,” he added, “but I’m disappointed we didn’t challenge him earlier.”

Viktor Stalberg also scored for league-leading Chicago, which has earned a total of 31 of 34 possible points.

Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery made 26 saves to win his fourth straight start and improve to 7-0. Chicago killed all four San Jose power plays, all of which occurred in a span of under 14 minutes late in the second and early in the third periods. “(The record) is a notch in your belt, Emery said. “It’s special to do something as

a group. “The start of the year is the worst time to do it, I think,” he added. “You’d rather do it at the end, but it’s great.”

Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks, getting only his second goal in 11 games after getting nine in San Jose’s first five games. Both Emery and Niemi were sharp throughout most of the game. But a misplay by Niemi led to Stalberg’s goal at 16:40 of the second period, and he seemed fooled on Saad’s score. Niemi stopped 32 shots.

Niemi, who was the goalie when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, also let in a couple of soft goals in a 4-1 loss to the Blackhawks at the United Center last Friday.

Chicago and San Jose faced each other for the third time in 17 days. The Blackhawks defeated the Sharks 4-1 last Friday and 5-3 in San Jose on Feb 5. The Blackhawks had a full lineup for the first time since their season opener at Los Angeles.

Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook, forward Daniel Carcillo and goalie Corey Crawford returned from injuries. Seabrook missed Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury and Carcillo sat out 15 games since suffering a knee injury in the season opener. Crawford, who sat out three games with a upper-body injury, backed up Emery.

Chicago forward Marian Hossa was back after being hit in the back of the head by Vancouver for ward Jannik Hansen on Tuesday and leaving early in the third period. Hansen was suspended for one game by the NHL. Marleau broke the scoreless tie late in the first period. He connected with 14.2 seconds left to give San Jose a 1-0 lead.

Emery made a point-blank pad save on Joe Pavelski’s tip of Joe Thornton’s shot from left wing, then Marleau pounced on the rebound in the slot. Emery got his left pad on Marleau’s attempt, but the puck barely slid over the goal line.

Stalberg tied it at 1 at 16:40 of the second on a play from the left corner. From a sharp angle and with traffic in front, Stalberg whipped the puck toward Niemi.

It struck the inside of Niemi’s left pad near the knee and deflected in. Saad’s goal 2:24 into the third made it 2-1.

Then Chicago’s penalty killing and alert work by Emery helped preserve the lead. “I thought we got better as the game went on, each and every shift, Quenneville said.

“We certainly got some energy off the penalty kill tonight, none more than getting the shortie in the third.”

Niemi was pulled for an extra attacker with 1:10 left, but Chicago kept the Sharks off the puck and off balance. Hossa missed an empty net in the final seconds. — AP

PITTSBURGH: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes a shot on goal against Jacob Markstrom #35 of the Florida Panthers during the game at Consol Energy Center on Friday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Penguins won 3-1. — AFP

NHL results/standings Pittsburgh 3, Florida 1; Vancouver 1, Nashville 0; Chicago 2, San Jose 1.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTLGF New Jersey 10 3 4 45 Pittsburgh 12 6 0 60 NY Rangers 8 6 2 41 Philadelphia 8 10 1 53 NY Islanders 7 9 1 50 Northeast Division Montreal 11 4 2 49 Boston 10 2 2 41 Toronto 11 7 0 51 Ottawa 10 6 2 43 Buffalo 6 11 1 48 Southeast Division Carolina 8 6 1 44 Tampa Bay 8 7 1 61 Winnipeg 7 8 1 41 Florida 5 8 4 41 Washington 5 10 1 43

GA 40 45 41 59 60

PTS 24 24 18 17 15

39 33 41 34 59

24 22 22 22 13

44 51 50 61 54

17 17 15 14 11

Western Conference Central Division Chicago 14 0 3 57 35 31 Nashville 8 5 5 39 39 21 St. Louis 9 6 2 53 51 20 Detroit 7 7 3 45 51 17 Columbus 5 10 2 39 53 12 Northwest Division Vancouver 10 3 4 49 40 24 Minnesota 8 6 2 36 39 18 Colorado 7 7 1 38 43 15 Edmonton 6 7 3 37 44 15 Calgary 5 7 3 40 54 13 Pacific Division Anaheim 12 2 1 53 39 25 San Jose 8 5 3 40 36 19 Phoenix 8 6 2 44 41 18 Dallas 8 8 1 44 47 17 Los Angeles 7 6 2 36 38 16 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

3 charged following attack on Spurs fans LYON: Three men have been charged with “aggravated violence” and remanded in custody after Tottenham Hotspur supporters were attacked in a Lyon bar on Wednesday evening before a Europa League game in the city. Police are also investigating claims of violence “provoked by racial hatred,” with reports that Nazi salutes were seen when Spurs supporters were attacked in the Smoking Dog pub, in Lyon’s Old Town, on the eve of Thursday’s match.

Seven people suffered minor injuries, and police are looking for several dozen people in connection with the attack, which was carried out by up to 50 masked men. One of the three currently being held has connec-

tions with the extreme right. The men are also accused of causing damage to the premises after chairs were thrown and stones and bricks hurled through the pub’s windows.

It is the second time that Tottenham fans have been targeted by such an attack in recent months. In November, fans of the club, which has a traditionally strong Jewish following, were ambushed inside a pub in Rome on the eve of their Europa League game against Lazio.

Tottenham drew the Europa League last-32, second-leg, match 1-1 in Lyon to win 3-2 on aggregate and advance to a last-16 tie with Inter Milan. — AFP

LOS ANGELES: Dwight Howard #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over J.J. Hickson #21 of the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half at Staples Center on Friday in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers 111-107. — AFP

Warriors end hoodoo, beat Spurs in overtime OAKLAND: The Golden State Warriors ended a five-year hoodoo by beating San Antonio 107101 in overtime on Friday, ending a 16-game losing streak against the Spurs.

Jarrett Jack had 30 points and 10 rebounds while David Lee added 25 points and 22 boards for the Warriors, who beat the NBA-leading Spurs for the first time since January, 2008.

In another one-sided rivalry, Houston beat Brooklyn for the 13th straight time. In other key games, Oklahoma City ended a three-game skid by beating Minnesota, Indiana took over second place in the Eastern Conference by beating Detroit, replacing New York which was beaten

by Toronto, while the Los Angeles Lakers ended a tr ying week on a good note by edging Portland.Golden State came from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime and beat the Spurs, all without center Andrew Bogut.

Danny Green scored 20 points for San Antonio, which had won 16 of their previous 17.

Houston’s James Harden and Carlos Delfino each scored 22 points as the Rockets beat the Brooklyn Nets 106-96, tying their longest winning streak against any opponent. Houston blew most of a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter before Delfino hit a big 3-pointer with 1:54 left. He later made another jumper before Harden followed with a 3 to put it away.

Brook Lopez scored 27 points for the Nets, who played without injured starting guard Joe Johnson for the first time this season. Brooklyn missed a chance to tie New York atop the East standings. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook scored 37 points and Kevin Durant added 27 as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-111.

OC had allowed 113.7 points per game during the losing streak and were just a basket better against Minnesota, instead relying on an offense that regained the NBA lead in scoring average.

Alexey Shved’s 17 points led Minnesota, which shot 43 percent after halftime to blow its victory chances. Indiana’s David West scored 18 points and George Hill had 15 as the Pacers cantered past the Detroit Pistons 114-82.The Pacers grabbed control with a 14-4 run at the start of the second quarter and went to a 48 23 lead.

Will Bynum scored 17 points for the stumbling Pistons, who have split their last four games. Toronto’s Rudy Gay scored a season-high 32 points while DeMar DeRozan had 18 as the

Raptors won 100-98 and handed the New York Knicks a season-worst fourth straight loss.

Gay added three free throws at the end to seal the game and give the Raptors their sixth win in second games.

Carmelo Anthony had 32 points for the Knicks, who rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead with 6:11 left but could not sustain that run. Los Angels’ Kobe Bryant scored 40 points and Dwight Howard had 19 points and 16 rebounds as the Lakers downed the slumping Portland Trail Blazers 111107, just hours after the funeral of longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Bryant, who gave a eulogy at the Buss service, scored 11 points in the final 51/2 minutes. After a horrendous start to the season, the Lakers are gradually working their way into the playoff frame, sitting 3-1/2 games behind Houston, which has the provisional hold on the eighth and final playoff berth in the West, with 26 remaining.

J.J. Hickson had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, which has lost a season-worst seven games and five in a row on the road.

Memphis’ Marc Gasol had 19 points and 13

rebounds and Zach Randolph added 16 points and 14 boards as the Grizzlies won 88-82 over the undermanned Orlando Magic and notched their sixth straight victory.

Washington’s Emeka Okafor had 17 points and 13 rebounds as the Wizards put in one of their best offensive shows of the season, beating the Denver Nuggets 119-113.

Atlanta’s Al Horford led a balanced performance with 24 points as the Hawks overcame a slow start to beat the Sacramento Kings 122108.

Boston made light of the absence of several players by comfortably beating the Phoenix Suns 113-88, with Jeff Green scoring 31 points in his first start of the season.

Chicago’s Taj Gibson scored 17 points on 8-of11 shooting as the Bulls routed the Charlotte Bobcats 105-75, with former Chicago great Michael Jordan looking on from the Charlotte bench.Dallas’ Vince Carter capped a 22-point performance with a 3-pointer that gave the Mavericks the lead with 6.5 seconds left, and they hung on to beat the New Orleans Hornets 104(equals)100. —AP

NBA results/standings Toronto 100, NY Knicks 98; Washington 119, Denver 113; Chicago 105, Charlotte 75; Indiana 114, Detroit 82; Houston 106, Brooklyn 96; Atlanta 122, Sacramento 108; Memphis 88, Orlando 82; Dallas 104, New Orleans 100; Oklahoma City 127, Minnesota 111; Boston 113, Phoenix 88; LA Lakers 111, Portland 107; Golden State 107, San Antonio 101 (OT).

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT NY Knicks 32 20 .615 Brooklyn 33 23 .589 Boston 29 26 .527 Philadelphia 22 30 .423 Toronto 23 33 .411 Central Division Indiana 34 21 .618 Chicago 32 23 .582 Milwaukee 26 27 .491 Detroit 22 35 .386 Cleveland 17 37 .315 Southeast Division Miami 38 14 .731 Atlanta 30 23 .566 Washington 16 37 .302 Orlando 15 40 .273 Charlotte 13 42 .236

GB 1 4.5 10 11 2 7 13 16.5 8.5 22.5 24.5 26.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 40 15 .727 Denver 34 22 .607 Utah 31 24 .564 Portland 25 30 .455 Minnesota 20 32 .385 Pacific Division LA Clippers 39 18 .684 Golden State 32 23 .582 LA Lakers 27 29 .482 Sacramento 19 37 .339 Phoenix 18 38 .321 Southwest Division San Antonio 44 13 .772 Memphis 36 18 .667 Houston 31 26 .544 Dallas 25 29 .463 New Orleans 19 37 .339

6.5 9 15 18.5 6 11.5 19.5 20.5 6.5 13 17.5 24.5

Pistorius spends time with family on first day of bail PRETORIA: South Africa’s Olympic “Blade Runner” and murder suspect Oscar Pistorius was spending his first day out on bail yesterday with his family pending trial for the killing of his lover.

Pistorius was freed on a record one million rand ($112,770) bail on Friday after eight days in custody and an emotionally charged fourday bail hearing.

“I would like Oscar to just compose himself and to have a normal day,” his uncle Arnold Pistorius told the local Eyewitness News. He will return to court later this year when a date will be set for trial for having shot dead his model girlfriend and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day. When contacted by AFP, his father Henke Pistorius declined to say how his son had slept at his uncle’s house in Pretoria. But a source close to the family told AFP late Friday that “the family just want time together. They haven’t thought about anything except being together.”

Pistorius claims he repeatedly shot at and killed his lover by mistake thinking she was a burglar. Steenkamp’s grieving parents, however, did not appear convinced. “It doesn’t matter how rich he is and how good his legal team is.

He needs to live with himself if he lets his legal team lie for him,” her father Barry told the Afrikaans-language daily Beeld.

Pistorius has assembled some of the best legal brains in South Africa to defend his case.

“He’ll have to live with his conscience. But if he’s telling the truth, I may forgive him one day,” Steenkamp’s father said.

But “if it didn’t happen as he described it, he should suffer. And he will suffer ... only he knows.” Pistorius’s family has sent flowers and a card to the Steenkamp family, but “what does that mean? Nothing,” said June, Reeva’s mother.

Pistorius’s brother Carl later in the day tweeted: “Thank you to every person that has prayed for both families.” In addition to the bail cash he posted Friday afternoon, which experts say is among one of the highest ever set in South Africa, Pistorius had to surrender his passport and his firearms. The magistrate quadrupled the bail amount that initially had been proposed by the state.

He will have to report twice weekly to Pretoria’s Brooklyn police on Mondays and Fridays. He was also ordered not to take alcohol or drugs.

Pistorius may also yesterday hold talks with

his trainer to get back on the track, despite being banned under his bail terms from competing outside South Africa.

“He is a professional athlete. He needs to keep his body in shape,” the family source said.

His arrest on February 14 shocked the world and gripped South Africa, where he became a national hero after becoming the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics last year.

The state charged him with the premeditated killing of 29-year-old Steenkamp.

If found guilty he faces a possible life sentence. Just hours before the magistrate’s decision to release Pistorius on bail, arguing he was not a flight a risk and did not pose a danger to the public, defence lawyer Barr y Roux appeared to concede that the star sprinter could be convicted on a lesser charge of culpable homicide.

That charge, which entails negligence rather than murderous intent, can carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. The prosecution meanwhile said it was confident it had evidence to convict Pistorius.

Winning a bail application “doesn’t mean an acquittal”, said spokesman for the prosecution Medupe Simasiku. “We still believe we have evidence to convict Oscar Pistorius.” — AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

S P ORT S

Cazorla gives Arsenal 2-1 victory over Aston Villa Santi’s double eases pressure on Wenger Arsenal 2

Aston Villa 1

WEST BROMWICH: West Bromwich Albion’s Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku (2nd R) vies with Sunderland’s English midfielder Craig Gardner (L) and English defender Titus Bramble (R) during the English Premier League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich, central England, yesterday. — AFP

Lukaku brace conquers sinking Sunderland West Brom 2

Sunderland 1

WEST BROMWICH: On-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku struck in each half as West Bromwich Albion extended Sunderland’s run of Premier League games without a win to four with a 2-1 win yesterday.

Lukaku broke the deadlock from the penalty spot 10 minutes before half-time and added a fortuitous second in the 75th minute, only for Stephane Sessegnon’s immediate response to set up a nervy finale.

West Brom climbed above Liverpool and Swansea City to seventh place in the table,

while Sunderland slipped to 14th, five points above the relegation zone.

Peter Odemwingie returned to the West Brom squad after his very public transfer deadline day flirtation with Queens Park Rangers and was roundly booed by the home side’s supporters.

Sunderland, meanwhile, handed a first start to January signing Danny Graham in attack. After a dreary start to proceedings at the Hawthorns, the game sprang to life in the 24th minute when Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher hit the post before working home goalkeeper Ben Foster with a follow-up effort.

Youssouf Mulumbu was then guilty of a terrible miss, the West Brom midfielder heading wide from just four yards after being picked out by Liam Ridgewell. The hosts were controversially denied a goal in the 31st minute when an effort from Lukaku was ruled out because referee George East had already awarded a free-kick for a foul on a West Brom player. — AFP

Holt strikes at death as Norwich sink Everton Norwich 2

NORWICH: Grant Holt scored in the fourth minute of injury time as Norwich City came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 at Carrow Road and secure a first win in their last 10 Premier League games.

The Canaries had trailed to a first-half Leon Osman header before substitute Kei Kamara levelled with six minutes remaining, and the hosts were rewarded for their late pressure when burly striker Holt found the net. For Chris Hughton’s side, the win was their first since beating Wigan 2-1 in mid-December, and the edge given to them by the second-half introduction of Sierra Leone striker Kamara will come as a major boost to a side that has desperately struggled to score goals recently.

In contrast, the result is another blow to Ever ton’s chances of Champions League qualification, with David Moyes’ side now on a run of just one win in their last six league games. They remain in the top six, but the defeat will only increase the concern for Toffees’ fans at a time when the future of manager Moyeswhose contract is due to expire in the summer-is the subject of speculation.

Norwich played with determination in the first half, but were punished for their lack of a cutting edge as the visitors got their noses in front in the 39th minute.

Leighton Baines’ delivery from the left wing is a constant source of danger for opposition teams, and so it proved as he swung in a typically pinpoint cross that Osman, all alone inside the penalty area, could not fail to convert. It was his sixth goal of the campaign, and had set Everton on their way to a precious three points until Norwich were brought to life when Kamara, a January signing from Sporting Kansas City, entered the fray just before the hour.

Moments later, he forced a save from Tim Howard, the Everton goalkeeper who was making his 300th appearance for the club, with an acrobatic effort from inside the area. The tone had been set for what was to come, and the 28year-old prodded just wide again in the 68th minute.

However, he was not to be denied with six minutes remaining when he rose high above Marouane Fellaini to meet a left-wing corner with a thumping header and restore parity.

The home side, who had scored just one goal in their previous six games in all competitions, now had the wind in their sails, and they got their winner right at the very end. Holt missed the target as the game moved into three minutes of injury time, and that allotted time added on had already passed when he pounced again, this time stabbing home from close range after another left-wing cross had created havoc in the Everton area. — AFP

LONDON: Arsenal’s German defender Per Mertesacker (3rd L) vies with Aston Villa’s English midfielder Fabian Delph (L), Congolese-born Belgian striker Christian Benteke (2nd L) and Austrian striker Andreas Weimann (R) during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. — AFP with discontent rumbling during a rare visit by American owner Stan Kroenke, who was wrapped in a blanket in freezing north London.

After being set up by Jack Wilshere, Cazorla’s first effort was blocked by goalkeeper Brad Guzan but he followed up by sending the rebound into the net.

But Arsenal couldn’t keep up its attacking threat despite going in front. Instead, Villa was able to push for an equalizer.

Wojciech Szczesny was kept busy in the Arsenal goal, denying Gabriel Agbonlahor and Charles N’Zogbia. The hosts created little, although Theo Walcott did manage to curl over, and Olivier Giroud had a shot saved by Guzan toward the end of the first half.

The second half started with Giroud missing the target from close range as he screwed the ball wide. Wilshere also blazed over before Arsenal was made to pay for its lack of urgency.

Guzan sent a long clearance up the field that Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson only managed to head away weakly, allowing Villa to seize possession and launch a counterattack.

Weimann rampaged unchallenged through the Arsenal defense before unleashing a low shot from 25 yards past Szczesny. It was the 19th league goal Arsenal has conceded at home this season - the most in eight years.

A combination of Guzan and the crossbar prevented Giroud heading in the winner from Walcott’s corner, as the goalkeeper made a fine save. But Villa’s resistance crumbled as they were ripped apart by an incisive Arsenal move for the winner.

Wilshere released Nacho Monreal on the left flank and the Spaniard cut the ball back to compatriot Cazorla to sweep home. “I did not expect him to score so many goals, because there are still 11 games to go so he could get a few more,” Wenger said. “For me he is a complete player because he also has spirit. He continued to fight until the last minute even though he was a bit tired.

“He is a good example to follow because every day he is happy to come and play and practice. When he is on the pitch he gives you everything.” — AP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

Everton 1

LONDON: Santi Cazorla banished some of the gloom at Arsenal yesterday, netting a double to clinch a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa and keep his team in touch with the Champions League places. Arsenal’s third successive league win came after a week of setbacks in cup competitions that saw the Gunners exit the FA Cup against second-tier club Blackburn and lose the first leg of its last -16 Champions League match against Bayern Munich 3-1.

“I am proud of the attitude of the team because we went through some difficult days and responded in a united way,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. In the bid to return to Europe’s elite knockout competition next season, Arsenal is now a point behind fourth-place Tottenham ahead of its north London rival’s match at West Ham tomorrow.

Cazorla put Arsenal ahead after just six minutes but the hosts failed to capitalize on their dominance and Andreas Weimann was able to equalize in the 68th minute. But Cazorla struck again in the 85th, sweeping in his 11th goal since joining Arsenal in August and giving the home fans something to celebrate after a miserable week.

“We could not afford to drop points. ... We are in a catch-up situation in the Premier League and we have come out of two massive disappointments,” Wenger said. “But it was interesting as well to see that we were focused, united, a bit nervous and you could see we played a little bit with the handbrake in some situations because the second goal didn’t come.

“We were also strong because when Villa came back to 1-1 we found the resources to respond and win the game.” Villa, however, returned to the relegation zone as Wigan went ahead of them on goal difference, while Newcastle and Southampton are three points further ahead.

“We shouldn’t have lost it because I thought we were exceptional and we should have been in the lead at halftime,” Villa manager Paul Lambert said.

The fact Cazorla scored so early helped to soothe tensions in the Emirates Stadium crowd,

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Bayern Munich rout Bremen 6-1 BERLIN: Bayern Munich routed Werder Bremen 6-1 yesterday to maintain its march to the German title and help Jupp Heynckes celebrate his 1,000th Bundesliga game as player or coach.

The 67-year-old Heynckes, who will be replaced by Pep Guardiola next season and has signaled his intention to retire, was presented with a bouquet before kickoff in Munich to mark his achievement. Only Otto Rehhagel, with 1,037 games, has more.

“We want to keep our rhythm, to continue on our way and not let ourselves be sidetracked by premature praise,” Heynckes said. “Our premise is to play better and more successfully,” Heynckes made six changes to the side that won 3-1 at Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday, giving Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez rare starts.

Robben seized his chance by scoring in the 25th and sending in a free kick for Javi Martinez to double the lead with a header four minutes later. Bayern’s task was made easier before the break when Sebastian Proedl was sent off for bringing down Gomez when the striker was through on goal.

Fellow Bremen defender Theodor Gebre Selassie scored an own goal in the 49th as he attempted to clear Gomez’s cross from the lurking Franck Ribery.Gomez made it 4-0 three minutes later, before Kevin de Bruyne scored for Bremen in the 58th the first goal Bayern has conceded this year in the league, and only the eighth this season. Ribery made it 5-1 with a volley thanks to Philipp Lahm’s ball over the defense in the 86th, and Gomez completed the rout in the 89th, after Robben’s second assist of the afternoon.

“We’ve had to accept a hammering here,” said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf, after his 750th game. Bayern moved provisionally 18 points clear of Borussia Dortmund ahead of the defending champion’s visit to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday. The sides meet in an eagerly anticipated German Cup quarterfinal in Munich on Wednesday.

“We want to be German champions, that was the stated aim,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. “That’s the most important title. We’re on the right path.” Elsewhere, Hannover routed Hamburger SV 5-1, Stuttgart drew 1-1 with Nuremberg, Wolfsburg drew 1-1 at Mainz, and Augsburg beat Hoffenheim 2-1 to leave the visitors in a direct relegation place.

“It was an insufficient performance over 90 minutes,” Hoffenheim coach Marco Kurz said.

Schalke was hosting Fortuna Duesseldorf later yesterday. Hannover striker Mame Biram Diouf scored with a great header from Szabolcs Huszti’s cross in the seventh, but Rafael van der Vaart equalized from the penalty spot six minutes later.

Huszti replied with a penalty of his own in the 39th, after Rene Adler brought down Sergio Pinto, but injured himself while doing so and had to go off.

Didier Ya Konan struck a fantastic volley to make it 3-1 before the break, and settled the issue with his second in the 68th, before Mohammed Abdellaoue completed the scoring with five minutes remaining. In Stuttgart, Ibrahima Traore scored from a rebound for the home side in the 51st, only for Markus Feulner to equalize with a powerful strike in the 77th.Mainz winter signing Niki Zimling scored his first Bundesliga goal in the

fifth minute, following a mistake from Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. Naldo saved his goalkeeper’s blushes with a deserved equalized in the 15th, before Alexander Madlung was shown a straight red for unfairly blocking a clear goal chance in the 30th.

In Augsburg, winter signing Ji Dong-won

scored with an unstoppable effort before the break and Sascha Moelders made it 2-0 in the 79th with a fantastic strike. Hoffenheim pulled one back through Igor de Camargo in injury time to set up a frantic finale, but the home side held out to move above the visitors into the relegation playoff place. — AP

MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s German defender Jerome Boateng (up) vies for the ball with Bremen’s Austrian midfielder Zlatko Junuzovic during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich vs SV Werder Bremen in the southern German city of Munich yesterday. — AFP

Kone brace lifts Wigan out of relegation zone Reading 0

Wigan 3

READING: Ivory Coast striker Arouna Kone bagged a brace as Wigan climbed out of the relegation zone with a vital 3-0 win at fellow strugglers Reading yesterday.

Roberto Martinez’s side took control of the crucial relegation showdown with two goals from Kone just before half-time, Maynor Figueroa netting the third immediately after the interval.

Any hopes of a Reading fightback were ended when Russian forward Pavel Pogrebnyak was sent off soon after Figueroa’s strike and Wigan easily held on for only their second win in 14 Premier League matches.

While Wigan look capable of another great escape from relegation, Reading slipped to second bottom after their third successive defeat in all competitions. It looked like a long day for Reading right from the start as goalkeeper Adam Federici was called into action after just four

minutes when Franco Di Santo fired goalwards.

Reading wasted their best chance of the half moments later when an unmarked Hope Akpan headed over Jem Karacan’s cross from six yards.

And Wigan made them pay for that miss in the 44th minute. Gary Caldwell was completely unchecked from a corner and while he made a hash of the chance, the ball bounced to Figueroa whose shot was going in before taking a deflection off Kone’s back near the line.

Kone knew little about his opener but his second was a goal to remember. After Sean Morrison lost the ball Jean Beausejour delivered a defence-splitting run to find Kone’s run. The striker still had the onrushing Federici to beat but nervelessly chipped his shot over him and into the net.

McDermott responded by bringing top-scorer Adam Le Fondre on at the break, but the game was beyond such heroics within 10 minutes of his introduction.

Figueroa made it 3-0 in the 48th minute as he was allowed to exchange passes with Di Santo and, with no defender around, fire his shot through the legs of Federici. There was yet more punishment waiting for Reading, however, as Pogrebnyak was given his marching orders.

The striker recklessly challenged Figueroa as he burst forward, stamping down on the defender’s ankle, to prompt a straight red from referee Phil Dowd. — AFP

Warriors end hoodoo, beat Spurs in overtime

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

Cazorla gives Arsenal 2-1 victory over Aston Villa

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Pistorius spends time with family on first day of bail Page 18

LONDON: Manchester United’s Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic (C) climbs to head at goal past Queens Park Rangers’ French-born Congolese defender Christopher Samba (L) during the English Premier League football match between Queens Park Rangers and Manchester United at Loftus Road in London yesterday. — AFP

Man United gallop into distance Man Utd 2

QPR 0

LONDON: Rafael da Silva and veteran Ryan Giggs scored in either half yesterday as Manchester United kept up its march toward the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at relegation struggler Queens Park Rangers.

Rafael fired in a shot from 20 yards in the 23rd

Giggs helps United go 15 points clear minute to put United ahead and Giggs then added the second in the 80th to mark his 999th game for club and country. “He’s delivered again,” United manager Alex Ferguson said of the 39year-old Giggs. “He’s an amazing man.” The win extends United’s lead atop the standings to 15 points ahead of defending champion Manchester City, which plays Chelsea today.

QPR, meanwhile, moved ever closer to relegation as Harry Redknapp’s team remained last with 17 points, seven points from safety with just 11 games remaining. “This leaves us bottom today, but we won’t be bottom at the end of the

season. I still feel we’ll get out of it,” Redknapp said. “You probably think I’m mad, but I don’t think I am,” he added. “Everybody else has written us off, but I haven’t. I still feel we have a chance.” Rafael’s twin brother Fabio is on loan at QPR from United, but was not eligible to play against his mother club because of the terms of the deal. He could only watch as Rafael put United ahead by rifling home a sublime strike from distance after Julio Cesar’s clearance fell at his feet. “I said to him he must have closed his eyes,” Ferguson said with a smile when asked about Rafael’s goal. “He has three goals for us

this season. The lad has had an absolutely magnificent season and is maturing all the time. He has had a fantastic game.”

Cesar kept QPR in the game by blocking a left-footed volley by Robin van Persie, who was replaced minutes later by Danny Welbeck after picking up an apparent hip injury.

“He collided with a camera,” Ferguson said. “It seems he hit the base of it and he has got a very bruised hip.” United continued to dominate and nearly doubled its lead when Giggs swung in a free kick for the unmarked Nemanja Vidic to flash a header inches wide.

Wayne Rooney, who has been suffering with a sinus problem this week, came off the bench in the second half, while French striker Loic Remy came on for QPR after recovering from an injury.

Remy had an effort blocked by David De Gea almost immediately before United settled and resumed its dominance. The second goal came when Nani played a cute ball through to Giggs, whose strike from an acute angle beat Cesar.

“We created some good chances but obviously Ryan’s goal ... killed the game,” Ferguson said.

Giggs nearly added a second goal, but his looped strike rattled the crossbar. — AFP

Kvitova beats Errani to capture Dubai title DUBAI: Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova scored her biggest success in 15 months when a 6-2, 1-6, 61 victory over Sara Errani earned her the Dubai Open title yesterday.

There were moments in the first and third sets when Kvitova looked as though she could become a Grand Slam challenger, but in between she was thankful that she could discover enough mental strength to recover from a rocky mid-match spell.

It means that the fierce-hitting 22-year-old Czech has now won eight of her 10 career titles at Premier or Grand Slam level, a statistic which says something about her capacity for delivering when it matters most.

Italian Errani, who was voted the tour’s most improved player last year, played with surprising courage to abandon her patient rallying in favour of flatter hitting and net attacks. Although this did not turn the match completely around it did prevent it becoming a rout.

“It was up and down, but I can say I was focussed and calm, which was important after the second set,” said Kvitova. “It was important to stay in the game and to do my best and to be aggressive.”

It was also notable that Kvitova’s resilience was achieved without the services of her coach David Kotyza whom, she said, was on holiday. “I hope he is happy,” she commented. “It was something special. I am here alone.

Sometimes it is difficult to go on court and think about the game by myself.” The hard-hitting Czech looked as though she was going to swamp the French Open finalist when she trampled her way through the first four games in 15 minutes and took the first set in little more than half an

hour. During that time Errani, the loser of all six previous sets against Kvitova, managed just a single winner, and looked almost certain to lose two more. But Errani adapted her tactics well in the second set, taking time away from Kvitova’s brilliant ball-striking.

Then in the fourth game she produced a brilliant lobapproach-stop volley sequence which roused the crowd for the first time and for a while changed the mood of the match.

Kvitova conceded that game with a double fault, delivered another double fault in her next service game, which she also dropped, and began making many more errors, both forced and unforced.

Remarkably Errani chiselled and harried her way to six games in a row, instilling uncertainty into her opponent, and almost breaking serve in the first game of the final set.

By then though Kvitova had taken a comfort break between sets and appeared to have got her head together.

She also regained her timing, and after recovering from love-40 to reach 2-1 and saving two game points in the next game she regained some momentum. Kvitova finished the match again looking like the player who had beaten three top 12 women previously this week, and had sequences of points when she looked a potential Grand Slam challenger again.

Asked if it had been an up-and-down match, Kvitova commented: “Oh, yeah, I mean, that’s women’s tennis.” And of the time out she took before the final set, she said: “I was quite down. I mean, I was in the locker room and I was thinking that, really, that I must stay positive - and just play.” — AFP

DUBAI: Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova poses with her trophy after winning the WTA Dubai Open final tennis match in the Gulf emirate yesterday. Kvitova defeated Errani 6-2, 1-6, 6-1. — AFP

Business

Japan PM to work on BOJ head nomination Page 22 Kuwait bank credit grew 5.0% in 2012 Page 23

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All-new Nissan Pathfinder debuts in Middle East

Kuwait Energy revenue rises 29.4% to $59.0m Page 25 Page 26

LONDON: A red double-decker bus drives past the Bank of England in London on Friday. Rating agency Moody’s cut Britain’s debt rating by one notch from the top-grade AAA to Aa1, citing slow growth and a rising debt burden. —AFP

Britain clings to austerity despite AAA loss Opposition lambasts Osborne after Moody’s downgrade

LONDON: British finance minister George Osborne insisted yesterday that he would not abandon his deficit-cutting drive after Moody’s stripped the country of its coveted triple-A debt rating. The opposition lashed Osborne, saying his plan for the economy was shot through, while analysts said that although it was an embarrassment for him, the downgrade would have a limited impact in the markets.

In an expected rebuff to London’s hopes that sharp spending cuts would both gradually eliminate the deficit and revive growth, Moody’s rating agency cut Britain’s grade by one notch to Aa1 on Friday.

Osborne said it was a “loud and clear message that Britain cannot let up in dealing with its debts, dealing with its problems, cannot let up in making sure that Britain can pay its way in the world.

“What is the message from the ratings agency? Britain’s got a debt problem. I agree with that. I’ve been telling the country for years that we’ve got a debt problem, we’ve got to deal with it.

“What do they also say? That if we abandon our commitment to deal with that debt problem, then our situation would get very much worse and I’m absolutely clear that we must not do that.” Asked if he had broken his commitment to protecting Britain’s credit rating, he said the true test of credibility was whether Britain could borrow money.

“At the moment we can do that very cheaply with very low interest rates precisely because people have confidence that we have got a plan,” he said. Moody’s said government debt was still mounting and that growth was too weak to reverse the trend before 2016.

It described the British economy as con-

strained both by turgid global growth and the drag from businesses and the government rapidly slashing their debt burdens.

Calling it a “humiliating blow”, Labour opposition finance spokesman Ed Balls said Osborne had failed in his chief stated mission of retaining Britain’s AAA status. “The reality is an economy which is not growing, a deficit which is getting bigger, families in real stress and a government which is ploughing on regardless with a plan which is not working,” he told BBC television. “Saying ‘the medicine is not working, let’s increase the dose of the medicine’-that is completely crazy economics.”

However, Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight research group, said that the market had been anticipating the downgrade for some time, though Britain’s pound sterling currency may be vulnerable. “It does focus attention on the UK economy’s

extended and ongoing serious problems,” he said. “The loss of the AAA rating certainly puts pressure on Mr Osborne to come up with more initiatives in the (March 20) budget to try and boost growth.

“While an embarrassment for the government and a cause for piqued pride, we suspect that the loss of the AAA rating will have only a limited negative impact for the UK economy.”

Mark Littlewood, director general of the Institute of Economic Affairs free-market thinktank, said: “The damaging impact of ballooning national debt, public spending raging out of control and tax rises should not be underestimated.

“Taking immediate action to tackle the deficit must now be the priority. George Osborne should focus on making sufficient savings in public spending to implement a substantial programme of tax reductions.”

Grim impact of broad US budget cut seen

WASHINGTON: Widespread flight delays and shuttered airports, off-limit seashores and unprotected parks. The Obama administration is painting a dire portrait of the many ways the public will feel the effects of automatic federal spending cuts due to begin March 1.

The grim picture is emerging as the White House and lawmakers count down the days until the government is forced to trim $85 billion in domestic and defense spending with hardly any leeway to save some programs from the budget knife.

In detailing the costs of the cuts, President Barack Obama is seeking to raise the public’s awareness while also applying pressure on congressional Republicans who oppose his blend of targeted savings and tax increases to tackle federal deficits.

“I’ve been very clear that these kinds of arbitrary, automatic cuts would have an adverse impact on families, on teachers, on parents who are reliant on Head Start programs, on our military readiness, on mental health services, on medical research,” Obama said Friday.

“This is not a smart way for us to reduce the deficit.”

Just in case those consequences didn’t capture the public’s attention, the White House also had Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

spell out the impact on travelers: a frequent-flier nightmare of 90-minute airport waits, limited flights and closed regional airports. Republican lawmakers dismissed LaHood’s warnings as “exaggerations.” But LaHood said the cuts would require slicing more than $600 million from the Federal Aviation Administration, resulting in furloughs

of one day per pay period for a majority of the agency’s 47,000 employees.

“Once airlines see the potential impact of these furloughs, we expect that they will change their schedules and cancel flights,” LaHood said.

Moreover, he said, the Transportation Department is looking “to likely close” air traffic control towers at 100 airports

WASHINGTON: (From left): Rep Elijah Cummings, Rep Robert Andrews, co-chairman of the Democratic Steering & Policy Committee and Rep Chris Van Hollen, Democrat member on the House Budget Committee, conclude a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on the impact of sequestration on Capitol Hill in Washington. —AP

that have fewer than 150,000 flight operations per year. “We’re talking about places like Boca Raton, Joplin, Hilton Head, and San Marcos, Texas,” he said. All in all, nearly two-thirds of the airports are concentrated in three states - California, Florida and Texas. But in a statement, Airlines for America, an industry group, said the organization, the FAA and airline carriers would be meeting soon to plan for potential cutbacks. “Air transportation is a key driver of our economy, and should not be used as a political football,” the statement said.

Paul Rinaldi, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the reductions will not just inconvenience passengers, it will also affect local economies and result in more lost jobs. “The fact that they will not just be furloughing critical FAA personnel but closing air traffic control towers means the system will be even more compromised than anticipated,” he added.

Still, top Republicans on congressional transportation and aviation panels accused the administration of unnecessary alarm. “Before jumping to the conclusion that furloughs must be implemented, the administration and the agency need to sharpen their pencils and consider all the options,” the

lawmakers said in a joint statement issued by Rep. Bill Shuster, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; Sen John Thune, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Frank LoBiondo, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation.

Throughout the administration, agency heads have been depicting an onerous after-effect to the cuts. The federal government is required to spell out the consequences to federal workers, but the details are also designed to warn lawmakers that the cuts could have a fearsome result: angry constituents. Some of the warnings: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta last week said that automatic cuts, known in Washington budget language as a sequester, would harm the readiness of US fighting forces and he said the “vast majority” of the Defense Department’s 800,000 civilian workers would have to lose one day of work per week, or 20 percent of their pay, for up to 22 weeks, probably starting in late April. The biggest potential losses, in term of total civilian payroll dollars, would be in Virginia, California, Maryland, Texas and Georgia, according to figures provided by the Pentagon. —AP

Meanwhile Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at stockbrokers BGC Partners, said the downgrade was not a reason for an economic policy change.

“Any amount of manipulation by attempted false stimulation of the economy in an attempt to create ‘artificial’ growth would in my view make an already bad deficit problem even worse,” he said.

“We have all lived beyond our means for far too long. “If the UK deficit is to be brought down and the task of reducing the debt mountain begun, Mr Osborne has no option but to stick to his guns. “We are light years away from returning to growth.”

There are so few countries left now with a AAA rating, that to lose it is not the stigma or major threat to market confidence that it would have been say a couple of years ago.— AFP

Protestors vow ‘citizen tide’ to swamp Spain MADRID: Spaniards furious at hardship and corruption scandals in the financial crisis vowed a mass “citizens’ tide” of protests in cities across the country yesterday.

A grouping of civil associations and protest movements called in a statement for non-violent demonstrations in Madrid, Barcelona and scores of other cities. February 23 marks the anniversary of an attempted coup in 1981 by right-wing officers who tried to crush Spain’s young democracy and restore military rule. “We are facing a real financial coup, that is why we have chosen this date,” Paco Segura, spokesman for one of the organizing associations, Ecologists in Action, told a news conference.

“Today our democracy is also threatened, that is why we protest to demand a true democracy where people can decide their future,” he added. The manifesto of Citizens’ Tide targets financial market pressure, “brutal cost-cutting policies” plus “corruption and loss of legitimacy of the institutions”.

Like the “Indignants” movement that erupted in May 2011 and swamped central Madrid for weeks, the movement says it has no formal leadership. It unites workers in various sectors who have held their own demonstrations over recent months, such as teachers, nurses, doctors, students, miners, with movements such as feminists, environmentalists and small political parties. Spain has been seeing weekly protests against the spending cuts and tax hikes imposed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government to slash the public deficit. —AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

BUSINESS

Japan PM to work on BOJ head nomination

Bayt.com report

Eight ways to boost your future salary

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ADB chief seen as possible favorite WASHINGTON: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he plans next week to seek the backing of a junior coalition partner, the New Komeito party, and opposition parties over the nomination of a new Bank of Japan governor.

“I’ll be back in Japan on Sunday. From around Monday, I want to make headway on new governor and deputy governors,” Abe told a news conference in Washington. “Next week, I would like to ask for help from opposition parties, notify candidates ... and work to win endorsement from New Komeito,” he said.

Abe did not say who he had in mind for the nomination. Abe has made clear he wants to replace BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa, who steps down with two deputies on March 19, with someone who agrees with the prime minister’s push for aggressive monetary policy measures to escape the deflation that has plagued Japan for decades.

Abe needs support from opposition parties because his Liberal Democratic Party-led bloc lacks a majority in parliament’s upper house, which must

approve the nominees.

“I understand different parties have different ideas. But I would like to start talking with them - the Democratic Party, Your Party, Japan Restoration Party and others,” Abe said in reference to opposition parties.

Asian Development Bank president Haruhiko Kuroda is seen as the leading candidate to become Japan’s next central bank governor, local media reported yesterday.

The government is strongly considering nominating Kuroda, 68, as the next Bank of Japan chief to succeed Masaaki Shirakawa, Kyodo News said, quoting sources familiar with the matter.

The Asahi Shimbun also reported that one of its government and finance ministry sources said: “Mr. Kuroda is the first candidate.” Incumbent BoJ governor Shirakawa, who disagreed with new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on policy matters, is to step down on March 19, several weeks before the end of his term.

The appointment of the central bank governor

requires parliamentary approval. As the ruling coalition lacks a majority in the upper house, Abe has said he would seek support from the opposition in picking Shirakawa’s successor.

Abe told a news conference on Friday in Washington that his government would start picking nominees on Monday after concluding his US trip during which he held talks with President Barack Obama. Kuroda spent decades as a Japanese finance ministry bureaucrat. He was responsible for international affairs and foreign exchange policy between 1999 and 2003 before assuming the post of ADB head in 2005.

Kuroda, a former vice finance minister for international affairs, is known as an advocate of aggressive monetary easing to overcome Japan’s deflation, a stance in line with Abe’s economic policy, Kyodo said. Among other candidates are another former vice finance minister Toshiro Muto, and Kazumasa Iwata, head of a policy think-tank. Both Muto and Iwata used to serve as deputy governor of the central bank. — Agencies

France tops US in women on corporate boards: Study WASHINGTON: France has overtaken the United States in placing women on the boards of the world’s 200 largest companies, according to a study released on Friday.

The average percentage of female directors among Fortune Global 200 companies, the world’s largest by revenues, came to a modest 15 percent, according to the study by the Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI). But 25.1 percent of directors in the 17 top French companies are now women, thanks to a French quota law.

Meanwhile, only 20.9 percent of board members were women at the 57 largest US companies, the study found. “France has raised the bar for other countries interested in opening up corporate board rooms to women,” said Irene Natividad, chair of the Washington-based CWDI. In a similar study released in late 2011, France beat a timetable set by the quota law taking effect in January of that year, that requires publicly listed companies to make 40 percent of their directors women by 2017.

The law set a halfway point of three years to reach 20 percent, and France had 20.1 percent. That marked substantial progress from 7.2 percent representation in 2004, when the CWDI first tracked the data. “The dramatic increase in the number of women now serving on the boards of French companies shows that it is possible to do this at a quicker pace, as long as there’s a plan to do so,” Natividad said.

Norway initiated the board room quota drive in 2003 and reached its 40 percent mandate in 2008. Five other European countries now have

government quotas on female directors in public companies: Belgium, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Outside Europe, Malaysia is the sole country with such a quota. Ten other countries have quotas for women on the boards of government-owned companies, bringing to 18 the number of countries with some kind of quota. The improved numbers worldwide also were driven by the inclusion of gender or board diversity language in the corporate governance code in several European countries, the CWDI said.

Finland led that drive and now has 22 percent of board seats held by women, in an initiative that has spread to other continents, the group said, calling it “a very popular strategy for countries wanting to avoid quotas.”

“There are now 17 countries who have adopted this initiative,” the research group said. The data made clear that government quotas and gender diversity recommendations spurred women’s acceptance to the boardroom.

“Quotas work,” said Natividad.

“Inserting gender diversity into corporate governance codes works.

“What doesn’t work is assuming that women will rise to board seats ‘naturally,’ and therefore do nothing.” The world’s top three economies-the United States, China and Japan-are home to 104 of the Fortune 200 companies, but had the lowest percentage increases in women-held board seats. “None of these countries have concerted proactive strategies to improve the numbers of women directors in their respective countries,” the CWDI said. — AFP

NBK services during holidays KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has taken all necessary measures to ensure providing customers with the best services during the National and Liberation holiday throughout Hala Watani, Mobile Banking (iPhone and blackberry), Online and ATM services.

All NBK branches will be closed from Sunday 24th until Tuesday 26th February, 2013. Hala Watani, Watani online and ATM will be available 24 hours and ready to serve customers. Customers can also conduct all their transactions through NBK Mobile Banking application.

China energy use rises 3.9% in 2012 BEIJING: Energy consumption by China, the world’s leading emitter of C02, rose 3.9 percent in 2012 from the previous year but fell by 3.6 percent per unit of gross domestic product, the government said. The country used the equivalent of 3.62 billion tons of coal, the National Bureaus of Statistics reported in a paper on the state of the economy published Friday.

Coal represents 66.4 percent of the total energy consumed, with oil and natural gas accounting for 18.9 percent and 5.5 percent respectively, according to an estimate by the Diyi Caijing economic daily. The rest is mainly provided by hydro while nuclear power still accounts for a very low proportion of China’s ener-

gy mix, despite a major program to construct atomic power plants.

The NBS said in 2012 Chinese consumption of coal rose 2.5 percent, oil 6.0 percent and natural gas 10.2 percent while electricity use climbed 5.5 percent.

Energy consumption per unit of GDP however fell 3.6 percent, it said.

China has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 percent per unit of GDP by 2020 compared to 2005 levels, rather than in absolute terms.

The world’s second largest economy is expanding rapidly since it posted GDP growth of 7.8 percent last year, its lowest in 13 years after hitting 9.3 percent in 2011 and 10.4 percent in 2010. —AFP

veryone looks for a better income. In fact Bayt.com’s December 2012 poll ‘MENA professional’s New Year Resolutions’ revealed that 48% of professionals in the region were set to request a higher salary for 2013 during their appraisals.

However, most people ignore some of the basic factors that influence salary growth, and thus lose out on a potential raise. To help you out, the career experts at Bayt.com, the leading Job Site in the Middle East, offer you top steps to follow in order to boost your future salary: 1. Observing industry growth trends: Keep an eye on industry growth trends, as soon as you see the industry growth curve tapering downwards, or if the quarterly growth figures in your industry show a continuous decrease, it’s time to reconsider your career path. Some industries are more susceptible to economic transitions and it’s unwise to remain in a volatile industry for too long. Similarly keep an eye out for indicators of industry growth such as stock prices, large investments or an increase in vacancies in that industry. According to Bayt.com’s 2012 “Top Industries in the MENA” survey, the Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals industry emerged as a regional leader in terms of satisfaction with salary, employee experience, and the perception of professionals employed in other industries.

2. Invest in education and certifications: Many people are reluctant to pursue higher education thinking that they will have to part with their jobs. However, this concern is redundant as there are many institutions and management schools out there providing online courses and executive evening classes, all you need is some research and you will find the program that suits your needs perfectly. Investing in a higher education can be very beneficial and offer you big future pay-off. Less expensive options include obtaining online certificates in technical areas or industry-specific certifications. Bayt.com’s March 2012 poll on ‘Online Education and the Job Market in the Middle East’ showed that 39.3% of professionals in the region would consider pursuing an online course if given a chance. Through investing in education, you will not only be adding value to yourself but also to the company, which will increase your chances of getting promoted, facilitate career transitions and enable you to negotiate for a higher salary at each stage of your career.

3. Consider yourself as an investor when planning for your future income: You must try to diversify your income sources so that a sudden economic shift in one industry would be covered by a part-time involvement somewhere else. Start your own business venture based on a hobby, or use your great communication skills and take up opportunities to guest lectures at schools or universities; teach summer courses or get paid for being a freelance photographer.

4. Dealing with a salary plateau: After reaching a particular career level, many individuals might feel that their growth is halted because of their skills and experience. While you might have attained a good position and are earning a good salary and feel totally comfortable, you should never submit to career stagnancy. On the contrary, make sure you continuously evolve professionally, take the initiative to implement new processes and bring innovation to your work. This will reduce your chances of getting replaced by a more dynamic individual.

5. Weigh your college degree against future income potential: Some professions will always pay more than others. Choosing your area of specialization in college can be a crucial determinant of your future earnings. Choose a degree that interests you and do a little research on what the pay scales are for that qualification. This research earlier in your life can significantly affect the sort of opportunities you might receive in the future.

6. Always negotiate: When offered a new job or an opportunity to contest your existing salary, make it a point to bargain. In the case of a new job offer, engage in rational and healthy negotiations with the employer. Aim for a minimum of 20% increment to your current salary level when specifying your expected salary. As for your existing job, try to come up with measurable objectives and highlight your achievements with your superiors during appraisals to justify and support your salary raise request.

7. Marketability pays: To stand out from the herd and be more desired by both your existing employer and prospective one, you need to increase your marketability. This can be done by participating in conferences, seminars, workshops etc. which will develop your understanding of your current field and will offer you great networking opportunities. If you have diverse interests try to be involved in groups that support a cause or a hobby that you are passionate about. This will add a new dimension to your profile and increase your marketability, both inside and outside the company.

8. Professionalism can take you a long way: Employees known for shirking responsibilities and slacking-off hardly get promoted. Being professional at a lower grade coupled with competency will translate into better career prospects. Being organized and exhibiting commitment to the company will enable you to earn more.

By following these simple guidelines, you can increase your worth and be the most coveted and one of the highest paid employees in today’s competitive job market.

EXCHANGE RATES Irani Riyal - cash

Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Egyptian pounds

.275000 .432000 .375000 .303000 .276000 .29000 .0040000 .0020000 .0764330 .7446660 .3900000 .0720000 .7300130 .0420000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2815500 GB Pound/KD .4347270 Euro .3776290 Swiss francs .3054180 Canadian dollars .2782530 Danish Kroner .0506220 Swedish Kroner .0446790 Australian dlr .2915730 Hong Kong dlr .0363070 Singapore dlr .2277080 Japanese yen .0030130 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0766850 Bahraini dinars .7471140 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0751000 Omani riyals .7315840 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.024 5.216 2.883 2.224 3.272 229.220 36.519 3.572 6.967 9.478 0.271

.2840000 .444000 .384000 .3150000 .288000 .3000000 .0067500 .0035000 .0772010 .7521510 .4050000 .0760000 .7373500 .0470000 .2836500 .4379700 .3804460 .3076960 .2803280 .0509990 .0450120 .2937480 .0365780 .2294070 .0030350 .0052770 .0022340 .0028990 .0036070 .0772570 .7526870 .4012020 .0756600 .7370400 .0070360

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 75.550 77.845 735.870 752.490 77.145

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 42.100 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 41.980 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.322 Tunisian Dinar 182.710 Jordanian Dinar 400.080 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.901 Syrian Lier 3.078 Morocco Dirham 34.327 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 283.200 Euro 379.490 Sterling Pound 439.530 Canadian dollar 281.370 Swiss Franc 307.830 US Dollar Buying 282.000 GOLD 311.000 157.000 81.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL DRAFT 296.24 283.18 311.65 381.80 282.35 435.92 3.09 3.595 5.224 2.218 3.269 2.881 76.94 751.80 41.50 402.25 734.84 77.97 75.49

Selling Rate 282.700 282.920 438.490 379.575 307.340 748.445 76.945 77.600 75.350 398.510 41.945 2.214 5.228 2.875 3.564 6.952 693.470 4.030 9.540 3.980 3.350 91.180

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

SELL CASH 295.000 288.000 311.000 379.800 283.500 445.000 3.150 3.750 5.350 2.520 3.450 2.860 77.500 750.800 42.500 409.500 734.000 78.500 75.900

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc

BUY Europe 0.424575 0.006080 0.046356 0.371050 0.046536 0.423745 0.040637 0.300616

SELL 0.433575 0.018080 0.051356 0.378550 0.051736 0.431245 0.045637 0.307616

Australasia 0.280217 0.228588 0.000109

0.292217 0.238588 0.000109

Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars

America 0.271818 0.000148 0.281350

0.280818 0.000166 0.283500

Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

Asia 0.003547 0.003144 0.044572 0.016367

0.003602 0.003374 0.049572 0.019467

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling

Guinea Franc Hong Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Jamaican Dollars Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar Sri Lankan Rupee Thai Baht

0.000044 0.034004 0.005152 0.000024 0.002829 0.002950 0.003174 0.087484 0.003105 0.002859 0.006507 0.000072 0.224595 0.001923 0.009090

0.000050 0.037104 0.005222 0.000029 0.003829 0.003130 0.003404 0.094484 0.003305 0.002899 0.006977 0.000075 0.230595 0.002228 0.009690

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Ethiopeanbirr Ghanaian Cedi Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Sudanese Pounds Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.745564 0.039618 0.012957 0.147566 0.000079 0.000185 0.394283 1.000000 0.000174 0.022455 0.001202 0.725351 0.077215 0.075067 0.049789 0.003163 0.180766 0.075759 0.001279

0.754064 0.041648 0.019457 0.149356 0.000079 0.000245 0.401783 1.000000 0.000194 0.046455 0.001837 0.736351 0.077998 O.075707 0.050339 0.003383 0.186766 0.077209 0.001379

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 282.700 379.650 439.900 282.900 3.050 5.212 41.975 2.229 3.577 6.963 2.880 752.800 77.000 75.500

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

BUSINESS

Kuwait bank credit grew 5.0% in 2012 NBK ECONOMIC REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait’s consumer credit and non-financial business activity boosted credit’s year-long performance to 5%, its best rate since 2009. This despite a minor drop in December. Private KD deposits continued to grow, with sight deposits accounting for most of the gains during the year. Banks continued to enjoy high levels of liquidity, supporting the declining trend in the cost of funds. Money supply ended the year on strong note, with M1 and M2 growing by 6.5% and 18%, respectively.

Outstanding credit to residents fell by a small KD24 million in December, ending the year at KD26.9 billion. Credit rose by KD1.3 billion in 2012, with the year seeing growth accelerate in both consumer credit (from 9.5% in 2011 to 16.6% in 2012) and non-financial business activity (from 1.9% to 4.2%).

More than KD1 billion of the 2012 gain in credit was in personal facilities (excl. securities) alone, which rose by KD84 million in December. This segment was up 16.6% in 2012, averaging a monthly gain of KD87 million during the year. Personal facilities for the purchase of securities, on the other hand, were down a small KD7 million in December, and capped 2012 with growth of 2.5%.

Meanwhile, non-bank financials saw their credit facilities contract by KD475 million during 2012, reflecting the continued deleveraging by investment

companies (KD457 million in 2011). December’s drop, at KD78 million, was the largest monthly decline in over a year.

The remaining KD712 million of the net gain in credit during 2012 was in loans to non-financial business activity. The year was a relatively decent one with growth driven largely by the real estate (+KD375 million) and trade sectors (+KD171 million).

This segment saw a weaker month in December, with credit down by KD30 million, largely on a drop in trade sector credit.

Banks’ balance sheets expanded by KD3.2 billion in 2012. Besides the gain in credit, foreign assets also increased by KD1.3 billion. Meanwhile liquid assets increased by KD441 million. During December, bank assets rose by KD533 million, almost exclusively in foreign assets Private resident deposits, on the other hand, were up 6.3% in 2012, the bulk of it in sight and savings accounts. December was a particularly strong month with deposits up KD670 million. The increase was mostly in KD sight deposits (+KD494 million) but time deposits and foreign currency accounts also saw smaller increases as well. Deposit rates on dinar time deposits fell between 2 and 3 basis points across maturities in December. The 1-month, 3month-, 6-month and 12-month deposit rates averaged 0.58%, 0.82%, 1.04% and 1.28%.

Funding the future!

Ernst & Young report

By Nadeem Shafi Dear Readers; As I continue to share our thought leadership material with you, I hope you enjoyed reading the article “ Working together” last week in which we discussed the initial pre-seed and seed funding stages of an entrepreneurial business work cycle. We established that without the ability to secure adequate funding, entrepreneurial companies will be unable to reach their growth potential and may not survive at all. So once the funding is secured then the entrepreneur has to focus on research and development to determine its product or service, or complete work on a prototype model to assess the viability of the venture. Today we are going to see further stages of the entrepreneurs work cycle.

Start-up stage At the start-up stage, an entrepreneur begins the process of demonstrating the commercial viability of their business. The goal will be to earn initial revenues, identify sales and distribution channels, and build awareness of the business. Financing needs often increase at the start-up stage because entrepreneurs must recruit employees, invest in infrastructure and put business plans into action. Beyond facilitating the funding itself, governments have an important role to play in helping entrepreneurs establish networks of relevant contacts and gain insight into how to access angel funds.

Such support can take the form of government funded networking venues for entrepreneurs and investors. An example is Startup Britain, a project established by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs to support small businesses in the UK. Emerging growth stage Once an entrepreneur has been able to demonstrate a market for their product or service, the venture enters the emerging growth stage. The company will be earning revenues but is unlikely to be sufficiently profitable to fund its own expansion. This means that external finance will be needed to hire employees, move to bigger premises and invest in new infrastructure. With a track record now behind it and a management team that has demonstrated its competence; it becomes somewhat easier for companies at this stage to access finance, and the range of options broaden. But despite this improved access, there are several trends that are hampering the ability of companies at this stage of growth to secure the funding they need. The financial crisis has made banks and venture capital (VC) firms more risk averse and limited the funds that they have available to lend or invest.

This means companies at the emerging growth stage face a highly competitive funding environment, and many will find that their growth prospects are constrained by a failure to secure the financing they need. Policy-makers therefore need to reinforce measures that give financial institutions the confidence to lend to Small & medium Sized entities (SMEs). One key measure, which already exists in most mature markets and several rapid-growth ones, is credit guarantees. Governments can take steps, including eliminating fees associated with credit guarantees, raising the proportion of credit that is guaranteed or raising the overall value of that credit. These measures are likely to have an especially high impact in rapid-growth markets, where the proportion of banks’ loan portfolios allocated to the SME sector is much smaller than in mature markets. Governments can also provide support to SMEs by forming monitoring entities that track levels of bank lending and intervene if these are perceived as being too low. Banks that were recapitalized using public funds in the wake of the

financial crisis have been a particular target for these mediation schemes.

The increasingly globalized nature of financial follows creates opportunities for those markets that have the most open policies toward foreign capital in follows. In Europe, for example, regulators are exploring ways of introducing an internal market for VC firms that will allow them to offer shares in funds throughout the EU, rather than needing to register funds in every country where they want to operate. And co-investment schemes, which match government funding with capital from VC firms, can be a powerful tool for increasing the funding that is available to entrepreneurs.

These partnerships between the private and public sector draw on the strengths of both parties. Investors can apply their skills and experience with making investment decisions and allocating capital, while governments can draw on their knowledge of providing and designing incentive programs and distributing benefits.

Expansion stage The final stage of the entrepreneurial growth journey is expansion. By this point, the company has proven that its business model is effective and the focus shifts to rapidly scaling up the venture to capitalize on the growth opportunity. At this point, the entrepreneur may decide to seek additional equity funding, either through follow-on VC, private equity (PE) or through an initial public offering (IPO). We believe that governments need to avoid stifling PE activity with more regulations. Regulatory tightening around the world has made it more difficult for institutional investors to allocate capital to investments that are perceived as more risky.

Against this background, governments need to guard against the risk of regulatory overreach, which could stifle PE activity in the SME sector. Going beyond this, G20 governmentscould offer inducements to institutional investors to increase PE investments up to the permitted thresholds.

Policy-makers also need to ensure that regulation does not block the growth trajectory of entrepreneurs. An IPO is a critical stage in the growth trajectory of the entrepreneurial business. In the US, the cost of regulatory compliance and litigation are often cited as a contributing factor to the slowdown in IPO volumes. Other G20 countries should likewise ensure that their own securities legislation strikes the right balance between protecting investors while at the same time enabling entrepreneurs to grow their business.

Government incentives It is clear that governments across the Globe have a vital part to play in facilitating and encouraging entrepreneurial development. Because business development is not a single stage process, government incentive programs needs to recognize the life cycle of entrepreneurial companies. The combination of multiple stages of business development and multiple funding sources available at each stage creates a complex group of touch points where incentives could impact the funding ecosystem.

Government’s role is to stimulate that funding ecosystem and provide comprehensive support within this very complex space. A holistic approach to stimulating a given industry or sector may provide additional impact beyond what can be achieved through programs targeting individual players. In many countries, different types of programs that would make up this holistic approach already exist, but combining them into a coherent system of comprehensive support is the next step.

— Nadeem Shafi, Partner Assurance, Ernst & Young

US, Japan agree on approach to Trans-Pacific trade talks ‘All goods’ subject to negotiation WASHINGTON: The United States and Japan agreed on language aimed at giving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe political cover to bring the world’s third-largest economy into negotiations on a US-led free trade agreement in the Asia Pacific region.

In a carefully worded statement following Abe’s meeting with President Barack Obama, the two countries reaffirmed that “all goods would subject to negotiation” if Japan joins the talks with the United States and 10 other countries. At the same time, the statement leaves open a possible outcome to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, talks where the Japan could still protect its rice sector and the United States could keep duties on Japanese autos.

“Recognizing that both countries have bilateral trade sensitivities, such as certain agricultural products for Japan and certain manufactured products for the United States, the two governments confirm that, as the final outcome will be determined during the negotiations, it is not required to make a prior commitment to unilaterally eliminate all tariffs upon joining the TPP negotiations,” the statement said.

Jeffrey Schott, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, called the joint statement “a big step forward” in the process of determining whether Japan will join TPP talks, which members hope to finish this year. “The United States and Japan agreed that the deal has to be comprehensive, but you don’t commit to the final terms before you even get into the negotiations,” Schott said. But Representative Sander Levin, the top Democrat on the powerful House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, called the statement “worrisome” and warned any agreement that includes Japan would not pass Congress unless it truly pries open that country’s farm and automotive markets.

Abe, who is on his first trip to Washington since taking office in December, has vowed to revive Japan’s economy with an expansive monetary policy, big spending and structural reform.

Joining the TPP talks could help with the third task by exposing Japanese companies and farmers to more competition. But Japanese rice

and other farmers who have long enjoyed high tariff protections are opposed to Tokyo entering the talks, and Abe curried their favor during his campaign last year by promising not to unilaterally agree to eliminate tariffs on certain sensitive products.

The current TPP members - United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei - have pledged to negotiate an agreement that eliminates tariffs in as many areas as possible.

To accomplish that goal they have agreed not to exclude any sectors or products from the negotiations. That stance also worries Ford Motor Co and the United Auto Workers, which have pressured the Obama administration not to allow Japan into the talks until Tokyo makes

reforms to open its market to more auto imports. Although Japan already has no auto tariffs, Ford and the UAW argue that the country relies on regulatory and other non-tariff barriers to keep out auto imports.

The US-Japan joint statement said the two governments would continue their discussions on the possibility of Japan joining the TPP talks.

“While progress has been made in these consultations, more work remains to be done,” in areas such as autos and insurance, the joint statement said.

A final decision to allow Japan into the negotiations would have to be made by all the current TPP members.

Additionally, the White House would have to give Congress 90 days notice before starting talks with Japan. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, second from left, smiles as he is introduced to speak at the Center for Strategic International Studies, in Washington Friday.— AP

US business group heading to Myanmar WASHINGTON: Fifty US business executives will visit Myanmar next week to explore trade and investment opportunities in the resourcerich nation now that the United States has eased sanctions, the US Chamber of Commerce said on Friday. “This delegation trip is an important milestone,” Tami Overby, the chamber’s vice president for Asia said in a statement. “We have made tremendous progress in normalizing economic relations between our countries. It is now time to take the relationship to the next level.”

It will be the first major US business delegation to go to Myanmar since President Barack Obama’s historic visit to the country in November. It will include representatives of companies from agribusiness and the automotive, electronics, energy, retailing, telecommunications, and other sectors, the business group said.

MetLife, Cargill, Fedex, Chevron , General Motors, General Electric, Target , Honeywell and eBay are among the roughly two dozen companies making the trip.

The group will take part in a trade and investment symposium in Yangon that will bring together senior business executives and government officials from both countries.

The United States has softened sanctions on Myanmar and removed a ban on most imports from the Southeast Asian nation in response to the country’s democratic reforms.

Washington relaxed sanctions on four large banks in Myanmar on Friday, allowing them access to the US financial system. The Treasury Department issued a general license to the Myanma Economic Bank, Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank, Asia Green Development Bank and Ayeyarwady Bank.

A general license eases restrictions and lets the banks deal with US citizens and companies, but leaves sanctions laws on the books, giving Washington leverage should Myanmar start to backslide on reforms. Obama was the first American president to visit the country. — Reuters

Dollar steady, pound hit by downgrade NEW YORK: The dollar held firm against the euro Friday following two days of strong gains, after the euro earned only a temporary bump from Germany’s buoyant business confidence index.

The yen meanwhile resumed its weakening path, while the British pound dropped in the day after Moody’s cut the country’s AAA debt rating. At 2200 GMT, the euro traded at $1.3189, barely changed from $1.3188 late Thursday. It surged to $1.3242 in early trade after the closely watched Ifo business climate index notched up its strongest gain in two and a half years to hit its highest level since April 2012.

But those gains were lost after the European Central Bank said that the region’s weak banks were holding onto much higher levels of ECB emergency funding than previously expected.

There was also caution ahead of Sunday’s Italian elections, with the result expected to be a divided legislature as the country struggles with austerity budgets and persistent recession.

Financial markets warned an unclear outcome could plunge the euro-zone’s third economy back into crisis.

“There is no doubt that investors are exercising a degree of caution ahead of this week’s Italian election, with the pos-

sibility that we could well see a lot of political gridlock come into play early next week,” said CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson. The yen’s short-lived correction appeared to end, with the dollar rising to 93.37 yen from 93.11 yen and the euro gaining to 123.18 yen from 122.81.

Markets were watching to see who would be named the new head of the Bank of Japan, with the choice a likely indicator of how strongly the central bank will support the government’s economic growth stimulus efforts.

Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management said that at the end of the day, whomever is chosen “will come out quickly and reaffirm (the prime minister’s) plans to follow through with reaching the government’s two percent inflation forecast which will require an aggressive amount of easing and drive the yen lower once again.” The British pound was steady through the day around the $1.5250 line until Moody’s announced a one-notch cut in the country’s rating to Aa1, citing weak growth and rising debt.

The pound sank to $1.5146, its lowest level since July 2010. The dollar was at 0.920 Swiss francs, down from 0.9308 francs. — AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

BUSINESS

KSE stocks rally, volume edges up BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the green zone. The price index ended last week with an increase amounted to 0.18%, and the weighted index advanced by 0.27% compared to the closings of the week before. In addition KSX-15 index increased by 0.43%. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 18.02%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 29.78 million, whereas trading volume average was 380.78 million shares, recording decline of 28.43%.

KSE performance was fluctuating during most of the last week sessions, as the quick speculative operations continued to control the market deals, on small-cap stocks in particular, which enabled the Price Index to realize different gains and close in the green zone for the eighth consecutive week. Meanwhile, Weighted Index and KSX-15 Index realized slight gain on the weekly level, despite its decline in most of the sessions due to the selling and profit collection operations on leading and operational stocks.

Furthermore, the stock market witnessed low liquidity levels during last week, in addition to a decreased trading volume, which came as a result to the relative trading avoidance witnessed by the market, as many investors are watching for the listed companies’ announcements, whom did not declare its financial results for last year, and also due to the Kuwait national celebrations holiday, where market trading levels usually drop during this period of the year.

For the annual performance, the price index ended last week recording 8% annual gain compared to its closing in 2012, while the weighted index increased by 3.13%, and the KSX-15 recorded 2.67% increase.

By the end of the week, the price

2.53% to end the week’s activity at 960.60 points. The Health Care sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 2.48%, closing at 965.66 points, followed by the Insurance sector, as its index closed at 971.55 points at a loss of 1.50%.

index closed at 6,409.04 points, up by 0.18% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.27% weekly gain after closing at 430.72 points. Moreover, the KSX-15 index closed at 1,036.01

points, increasing with 0.43%.

Sectors’ indices Seven of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone, while the other Five recorded declines. Last week’s

highest gainer was the Oil & Gas sector, achieving 4.58% growth rate as its index closed at 1,110.76 points.

Whereas, in the second place, the Technology sector’s index closed at 1,063.08 points recording 1.24%

increase. The Industrial sector came in third as its index achieved 1.10% growth, ending the week at 1,008.26 points. On the other hand, the Consumer Goods sector headed the losers list as its index declined by

Sectors’ activity The Financial Services sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 764.99 million shares changing hands, representing 40.18% of the total market trading volume.

The Real Estate sector was second in terms of trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 35.35% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 672.99 million shares.

On the other hand, the Financial Services sector’s stocks were the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 45.98 million or 30.88% of last week’s total market trading value. The Real Estate sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 31.29 million represented 21.01% of the total market trading value. — Prepared by the Studies & Research Department Bayan Investment Co.

Euro hits 6-week low on ECB loan repayment NEW YORK: Global equity markets rebounded, recovering some of the previous session’s sharp losses, but the euro hit a six-week low against the dollar on renewed doubts about the health of the euro-zone’s financial system.

Wall Street ended higher, boosted by Dow component Hewlett-Packard, whose shares surged on strong results, and as comments from Federal Reserve officials allayed fears that the U.S. central bank would curtail its stimulus measures. But for the week, the S&P 500 posted its first weekly decline for the year. Risk-associated assets have been rattled this week by suggestions the Fed could scale back its monetary support sooner than expected and by weak euro-zone data that dashed hopes of an early recovery in the recession-hit region.

In a sign that some euro-zone banks may still need support, the ECB said just over 61 billion euros ($81 billion) of the 530 billion it lent at the height of the bloc’s crisis last year will be repaid when banks get the first opportunity next week.

That was well below the 130 billion euros expected by traders and means there remains more than enough cash in the banking system to keep downward pressure on money market rates.

The news sent the euro to a six-week low against the dollar. “The smaller-than-expected payback of loans means the ECB’s balance sheet will shrink at a slower-than-expected pace,” said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington. It “further undermined confidence in the state of recovery in the 17-member bloc.”

Stocks fared better in Europe as investors looked to take advantage of the previous session’s sharp sell-off, though traders cited some caution given the elections in Italy.

The FTSEurofirst 300 closed up 1.2 percent at 1,165.43, having sunk 1.5 percent on Thursday.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 119.95 points, or 0.86 percent, to 14,000.57. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index ended up 13.18 points, or 0.88 percent, at 1,515.60. The Nasdaq

Composite Index was up 30.33 points, or 0.97 percent, at 3,161.82.

But for the week, the S&P 500 slipped 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq lost nearly 1 percent. Only the Dow ended the week with a gain - up just 0.1 per-

played worries that the Fed has fueled asset bubbles that could hurt the economy in a private meeting with bond dealers and investors earlier this month, according to a report by Bloomberg on Friday. Bernanke’s view helped ease fears that the

cent. MSCI’s world share index gained 0.6 percent.

For the week, the index was off 0.5 percent. Like equities, commodities rebounded from Thursday’s big sell-off. Brent crude rose 57 cents to settle at $114.10 a barrel, but was down 3 percent on the week. US crude futures rose 29 cents to settle at $93.13 a barrel, but were down 2.8 percent this week.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke down-

central bank may end its easy money policies.

Minutes from the Fed’s January meeting hit markets on Wednesday as investors interpreted divergent opinions on the benefit of stimulus as a sign the measures may be halted sooner than thought.

“They are in uncharted territory with divergent views,” said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank in Chicago. “I could see some pretty heated opinions on what the ultimate out-

come is, so I do believe there is dissension.”

With Bernanke’s reported comments much on their minds in Friday’s session, investors will want the Fed chairman to reiterate his remarks publicly when he speaks before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday. That would echo comments made by two top Fed officials on Friday.

Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren and Fed Governor Jerome Powell both defended the US central bank’s asset-buying program, arguing that the policy helps the US economy.

US Treasuries prices edged higher as investors prepared for Bernanke’s testimony next week.

The 10-year note was 2/32 higher in price at 100-10/32, yielding 1.964 percent, down 1 basis point from late on Thursday.

The euro fell as low as $1.3144, its lowest since Jan. 10, retreating from a session high of $1.3244 after the German Ifo survey showed a big jump in business morale in Germany, suggesting a brighter outlook for the euro-zone’s largest economy. The yen dropped against the dollar and euro, with many investors forecasting further weakness as the Bank of Japan looked set to ease monetary policy further to fight deflation.

On top of the low ECB repayment, a report from the European Commission that forecast the euro zone economy will contract again in 2013, and caution ahead of Italy’s election this weekend, also weighed on the euro, which fell for a third straight session.

Adding pressure on the euro, Italians go to the polls this weekend in an election that could threaten reforms in the indebted country. Silvio Berlusconi’s resurgence has thrown the vote wide open, with deep uncertainty over whether the poll can produce the strong government the country needs. Inconclusive Greek elections last year sparked a protracted sell-off and a period of uncertainty in markets. For the week, the euro fell 1.3 percent versus the dollar. Against the yen, the euro rose 0.3 percent to 123.12 yen. The dollar rose 0.3 percent to 93.39 yen, not far from a 33-month high of 94.47 hit last week.— Reuters

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

BUSINESS

Connecting cars: Digital technology on the road

By Bahjat El-Darwiche

W

ireless connectivity is rapidly expanding beyond mobile devices, bringing the benefits of digital technology to many aspects of consumers’ lives. The connection of passenger cars to the Internet is the next digital wave, a development that will provide important opportunities for Middle East governments, telecom operators, automotive players and insurance companies.

Connected devices are possible because of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. M2M uses wireless data networks, sensors, and software to conduct remote monitoring, measurement and condition recording, in-field data collection, and other sophisticated processes.

Within automotives, M2M’s potential is considerable. M2M provides drivers with connected cars fitted with in-vehicle applications, turning a transport machine into a social, intelligent, and interactive device. Already drivers do not have to read maps and plan journeys. They can just put a destination into their GPS and

start driving. Unsurprisingly, the M2M market is expanding rapidly. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the M2M market is estimated to reach over $2 billion by 2016, representing 6.1 percent of the global M2M market, driven mainly by the demand of new vertical services.

Automotive M2M services are expected to have a large share of this new revenue by 2016, with 12 million automotive M2M connections, up from just 3 million in 2012. Such rapid growth presents companies with a tantalizing opportunity. To successfully enter the market, however, they must develop the right business model, and partnerships to provide the end-to-end innovative services that consumers and businesses expect.

In particular, telecom companies will need to determine their growth strategy based on their core capabilities and their positioning in the overall M2M ecosystem. They will have to develop right-towin capabilities including vertical innovation, solutions development and management, end-to-end horizontal platforms, and commercialization.

By building these capabilities, telecom

companies will be able to deliver on the two sets of services required by connected cars: core and value added. Core services include fleet management, usagebased insurance, driver intelligence, and road tolling.

Fleet management is the biggest segment today. It is also one of the first successful services in the automotive M2M market because of its significant cost benefits to companies. Companies use this service to improve utilization and tracking of their fleet vehicles, which can reduce costs by optimizing route management and enhancing fleet security.

Usage-based insurance service allows insurance companies to analyze driving data of policy holders and lower costs by customizing insurance coverage to match driving patterns and habits.

Similarly, driver intelligence services can monitor the driving behavior of new, young drivers along with older ones.

Insurance companies can then personalize premia based on driving behavior rather than age alone. Also, parents can receive reports on the driving behaviors of their teenagers. Finally, road tolling

services allow customers to pay tolls through devices attached to their cars, based on their geographic location (geofencing). This allows governments, highway, and road operators to reduce costs associated with building and maintaining road toll stations, and saves time for drivers. Value-added services include driving and green reports, navigation and mapping, remote vehicle diagnostic, weather and traffic reporting, and social media connectivity.

Although few of these services are on offer in the MENA region, providing them will be an important part of the growth in the automotive M2M market. The challenge will be to elaborate the correct business and distribution models. In terms of business models, successful automotive M2M providers are increasingly subsidizing the cost of devices and set-up fees to promote device penetration in the market.

These firms lease device to users, or provide them for free and only charge a monthly subscription. Another model, used for road tolling services, is pay-perusage which charges a commission for

each toll payment or for the distance driven.

There are two distribution models available. The first is a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) or businessto-government-to-consumer (B2G2C) model that distributes products to insurance companies, telecom operators, or governments which then provide the M2M services to fee-paying customers. In the alternative model, business-to-consumer-to-business (B2C2B),the automotive M2M provider sells devices directly to consumers.

Automotive M2M services in the Middle East are a growth market thanks to the new digitization trends that are driven by government initiatives, combined with growing demand from Generation-C and enterprise customers.

Telecom operators in the region can grab the first mover advantage if they move fast to build the correct capabilities, partnerships, and models that will help transform our cars into the next digital device.

— Bahjat El-Darwiche is Partner, and Bassam Hajhamad, Principal, with Booz & Company.

Kuwait Energy revenue rises 29.4% to $59.0m Revenue, production and profits increase y-on-y KUWAIT: Kuwait Energy, one of the fastest growing independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Middle East, yesterday announced an update on its financial and corporate activities during its fourth quarter.

Highlights revenue up 29.4%, year-on-year, to $ 59.0 million (Q4 2011: $ 45.6 million) l Q4 production up 16.1% year-on-year, to 17,442 boepd (Q4 2011: 15,018 boepd) l Q4 operating profit up 30.1% year-on-year to $ 38.9 million (Q4 2011: $ 29.9 million) l Q4 operating profit up 3.2% quarter-onquarter to $ 38.9 million (Q3 2012: $ 37.7 million) l Kuwait Energy-led consortium selected by the Government of Afghanistan to negotiate Exploration and Production Sharing Contracts (EPSC) for two Blocks in Afghanistan l Financial close reached on debt facility of up to $ 165 million, with the International Finance Corporation and Deutsche Bank Kuwait Energy Chief Executive Office, Sara Akbar,said: “I am pleased to announce another quarter of year-on-year increases in revenue, profits and production. The quarter also saw us make strategic progress in Afghanistan and extend our access to capital via a new reservebased lending facility. These are very exciting times for the company and I look forward to the future with confidence.”

Kuwait Energy participated successfully in the second Afghanistan Bid Round for hydrocarbon exploration licenses and submitted bids for lQ4

Introducing new HTC One A new perspective on smartphones LONDON: HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, yesterday announced its new flagship smartphone, the new HTC One. Crafted with a distinct zero-gap aluminium unibody, the new HTC One introduces HTC BlinkFeed, HTC Zoe and HTC BoomSound, key new HTC Sense innovations that reinvent the mobile experience and set a new standard for smartphones.

“People today immerse themselves in a constant stream of updates, news and information. Although smartphones are one of the main ways we stay in touch with the people and information we care about, conventional designs have failed to keep pace with how people are actually using them,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “A new, exciting approach to the smartphone is needed and with the new HTC One, we have re-imagined the mobile experience from the ground up to reflect this new reality.”

HTC BlinkFeed: A personal live stream right on the home screen At the centre of the new HTC One experience is HTC BlinkFeed. HTC BlinkFeed is a bold new experience that transforms the home screen into a single live stream of personally relevant information such as social updates, entertainment and lifestyle updates, news and photos with immersive images so that people no longer need to go to separate applications to find out what’s happening. HTC BlinkFeed aggregates the freshest content from the most relevant and interesting sources, giving it to people at a glance, all in one place, without the need to jump between multiple applications and web sites.

To enable this new dynamic approach to the smartphone, HTC will provide both local and global content from more than 1,400 media sources with more than 10,000 articles per day from some of the most innovative media companies, such as the AOL family of media properties, ESPN, MTV, Vice Media, CoolHunting, Reuters and many others. For more information on HTC BlinkFeed’s content partners, visit the HTC Blog.

HTC UltraPixel Camera with HTC Zoe The breakthrough HTC UltraPixel Camera redefines how people capture, relive and share their most precious moments. HTC Zoe gives people the ability to shoot high-res photos that come to life in three-second snippets. These Zoes, photos and videos are then displayed in a unique way that brings the gallery to life and transforms the traditional photo gallery of still images into a motion gallery of memories. It also automatically creates integrated highlight films from each event comprised of Zoes, photos and videos set to music with professionally designed cuts, transitions and effects. These highlight videos can be remixed or set to different themes, and can be easily shared on social networks, email and other services.

To enable this innovative camera experience, HTC developed a custom camera that includes a best-in-class f/2.0 aperture lens and a breakthrough sensor with UltraPixels that gather 300 percent more light than traditional smartphone camera sensors.

This new approach also delivers astound-

ing low-light performance and a variety of other improvements to photos and videos.

In addition, the perfect self-portrait or video is just a tap away with an ultra-wide angle front-facing camera which supports 1080p video capture. Multi-axis optical image stabilisation for the rear camera also helps ensure video footage smoother whether stationary or on the move. HTC UltraPixel camera adds many other features and effects such as enhanced 360’ panorama, time sequencing and object removal.

HTC BoomSound The new HTC One offers the best audio experience of any mobile phone available today. HTC BoomSound introduces for the first time on a phone, front-facing stereo speakers with a dedicated amplifier and an amazing full HD display that immerses people in music, videos, games and the YouTube(tm) clips they love. Beats Audio(tm) integration is enabled across the entire experience for rich, authentic sound whether you’re listening to your favorite music, watching a YouTube video or playing a game.

HDR recording uses advanced dual microphones and audio processing to capture clean, rich sound that is worthy of high-definition video footage. Phone calls sound great on HTC One thanks to the addition of HTC Sense Voice, which boosts the call volume and quality in noisy environments so that conversations come through loud and clear.

HTC Sense TV HTC Sense TV transforms the new HTC One into an interactive program guide and remote control for most TVs, set-top boxes and receivers. Tapping the power of the cloud, Sense TV makes it simple and intuitive to see what’s on and find that favourite show.

Metal Unibody Design Wrapped in a zero-gap aluminium unibody and sporting a brilliant 4.7”, Full HD (1080p) screen, the new HTC One features the latest Android Jelly Bean operating system and LTE network technology to offer blazingly-fast browsing in a package that combines premium design with breakthrough build quality. Available in stunning silver and beautiful black, the sleek and crafted aluminium unibody sits comfortably in the hand and showcases HTC’s unique antenna technology, which helps people achieve a crystal clear signal. The display also resists scratches and reduces glare, whilst offering incredible 468ppi resolution and rich, natural colours.

Kuwait Energy CEO Sara Akbar Block I (Sanduqli) and Block IV (Mazar-i-Sharif ) in a consortium together with Dragon Oil (International) Limited (DOIL), T¸rkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakl ( TPAO) and Ghazanfar Investment Limited. Both blocks are located in the Balkh province of Northern Afghanistan, at the border with Uzbekistan.

Subsequently, the consortium has been selected by the Government of Afghanistan to

negotiate EPSCs for both Blocks with negotiations set to be concluded within the first half of 2013. Kuwait Energy is to operate the Sanduqli block jointly with DOIL, while the Mazar-i-Sharif block will be operated by TPAO. Kuwait Energy will take a 30% working interest in the operated block and 25% in the non-operated block.

Financially, the Company achieved financial close during the quarter (19 December) on a new reserve based lending facility of up to $ 165 million with the International Finance Corporation and Deutsche Bank. The debt facility is to finance near-term capital activities although the first draw down of $ 60 million has been used to repay the previous IFC reserve based lending facility.

At the end of the quarter, the Company had also drawn down $50 million of its facility with Abraaj Capital and $ 33 million with Qatar First Investment Bank to finance near-term development and growth plans. Both agreements are for a $150 million convertible debt facility with mandatory conversion into ordinary shares of Kuwait Energy in the event of an IPO. Operationally, no recordable incidents took place during the quarter in any of Kuwait Energy’s operated areas whilst the Company’s Cairo office and operations at Area A, Egypt were successfully certified with OHSAS18001 and 14001 environmental management standards.

In terms of drilling activity, 13 development wells were drilled, at a cost of $21.9 million, primarily in Oman. Two exploration wells were also drilled and both will be carried over into 2013.

Investors face another Washington deadline NEW YORK: US investors face another Washington-imposed deadline on government spending cuts next week, but it’s not generating the same level of fear as two months ago when the “fiscal cliff” loomed large.

Investors in sectors most likely to be affected by the cuts, like defense, seem untroubled that the budget talks could send stocks tumbling.

Talks on the US budget crisis began again this week leading up to the March 1 deadline for the socalled sequestration when $85 billion in automatic federal spending cuts

WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK are scheduled to take effect.

“It’s at this point a political hot button in Washington but a very low level investor concern,” said Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at D A Davidson & Co in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The fight pits President Barack Obama and fellow Democrats against congressional Republicans.

Stocks rallied in early January after a compromise temporarily avoided the fiscal cliff, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen 6.3 percent

since the start of the year. But the benchmark index lost steam this week, posting its first week of losses since the start of the year. Minutes on Wednesday from the last Federal Reserve meeting, which suggested the central bank may slow or stop its stimulus policy sooner than expected, provided the catalyst.

National elections in Italy on Sunday and Monday could also add to investor concern. Most investors expect a government headed by Pier

Luigi Bersani to win and continue with reforms to tackle Italy’s debt problems. However, a resurgence by former leader Silvio Berlusconi has raised doubts.

“Europe has been in the last six months less of a topic for the stock market, but the problems haven’t gone away. This may bring back investor attention to that,” said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh. The spending cuts, if they go ahead, could hit the defense industry particularly hard. — Reuters

Persil Abaya Shampoo leaves abayas as black as new!

KUWAIT: Reinforcing its commitment to excellence, Persil Abaya Shampoo - a German technology product from Henkel -reaffirmed its position as the #1 choice for total Abaya care in the GCC, offering perfect cleanliness and black color protection, wash after wash.

In a one-of-its-kind consumer engagement initiative, Persil Abaya Shampoo underlined its credentials through testimonials by thousands of women across the Arab region. GCC women were given the opportunity to give their testimonials about the product.

In their testimonials, they emphasized the advantages of using Persil Abaya Shampoo over the last one year and how their Abayas still look as black as new!

“It has been over a year since I bought my Abayas, and thanks to Persil Abaya Shampoo, my Abayas look as black as new. The fabric texture is as soft as it was when I bought them.

Protecting the blackness of the Abaya and the fact that it keeps it as good as new after every wash, besides safeguarding the fabric feel.

What more can you ask for? My friends congratulate me for my Abayas, mistaking it for new. I am extremely proud to have Persil Abaya Shampoo protecting my Abayas like a shield,” said a proud consumer.

“Henkel’s unique product attributes are central to our mandate to extend new product experiences, developed at the heart of consumer’s local needs and trends. The Persil Abaya Shampoo comes with the latest German product innovations for the benefits of the Arab women and offers unmatched advantages for women in the region. The Persil Abaya Shampoo offers the perfect level of Abaya black colour and cleanliness, retention with its revolutionary German technology

‘black colour lock’, protecting the blackness of the Abaya and keeps as good as new after every wash, besides safeguarding the fabric feel and leaves the Abaya with a long lasting fragrance. The testimonials and our Black Meter results are powerful endorsement and evidence of our world-class product offering. This is testament to our efforts to create and maintain strong brands,” said Memosh Khawaja, General Manager of Henkel Saudi Arabia.

According to research, nearly 50 per cent of consumers were found using wrong cleaning agents to wash their Abayas - ranging from powdered detergents to hair shampoos. It is no secret that powdered detergents cause irreparable damage to the colour and fabric of the Abayas while the fabric softeners are not good cleaning agents. “It is highly recommended to use Persil Abaya Shampoo for washing Abayas. The product not only offers ultimate cleanliness but also protects the colour and fabric and leaves the abaya with a long lasting fragrance - taking innovation to a completely different level,” summed up Khawaja.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

BUSINESS

All-new Nissan Pathfinder ‘Next Generation SUV’ debuts in Middle East

DUBAI: Nissan Middle East has launched the All-new Nissan Pathfinder to define what the next generation SUV should offer: dynamic design, class-leading comfort, thoughtful technology, and a rewarding driving experience.

“All-new Nissan Pathfinder defines the ‘Next generation SUV’ with a modern balance of off-road capabilities with on-road refinement,” said Atsuo Kosaka, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East. “With unmatched technologies and features, the new Pathfinder delivers the ‘innovation that excites’ to meet the needs of today’s modern families”.

“Our goal for All-new Pathfinder is not only to be the best in class but also to move the whole SUV segment forward into the future,” added Atsuo Kosaka.

Introduced more than a quarter of a century ago, Nissan Pathfinder set the bar high for the generations that followed. Each successive Pathfinder design has remained true to that original premise while evolving to meet the changing needs of its owners.

Now, with the introduction of the allnew fourth generation, not only does Pathfinder provide capability with spacious seating for seven, and an intuitive 4 Wheel Drive System, but it also resets the standard for the segment with an unprecedented level of premium style, comfort, fuel economy and thoughtful technology. The All-new Pathfinder enters the Nissan range at a time

when demand for SUVs/Crossovers in the Middle East continues to show considerable growth (29% in GCC). With the featurepacked all-new Pathfinder, Nissan is confident of capitalizing on this growth and strengthening its position in the off-road segment.

True to Nissan’s philosophy of staying ahead of the competition, the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder offers a long list of both best-inclass and unique-to-class specifications and features, including: ● Around View Monitor ● Innovative sliding adjustment for second row seating with easy access to reclining third row seating ● Remote Engine start ● Climate control front seats ● Tri-Zone climate control Air Conditioning ● Independent Tri-Zone DVD entertainment system ● Advanced multimedia package including Bluetooth Hands-Free Phone System and Streaming Audio, 8-inch colour touch screen Advanced Navigation and BOSE(r) Premium Audio 12 speaker system, iPod connectivity, 9Gb Music box hard drive ● Best-in-class interior roominess ● Refined new drivetrain featuring a 3.5liter DOHC, V6 engine, mated to a nextGeneration Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) to help provide a 30% improvement in fuel economy (vs pre-

vious generation) ● On the move acceleration improved by 13% faster (vs previous generation Pathfinder) ● Intuitive ALL-MODE 4x4-isystem, first in class with selectable 2WD, Auto or 4WD Lock modes ● Hill Start Assist ● Best in class standard towing capacity up to 5000 lbs

Dynamic design Along with reduced weight, Pathfinder’s new unibody platform provided the designers an opportunity to create the more aerodynamic exterior without compromising headroom or cargo capacity.

Moving upscale in appearance, the new exterior styling presents a smart fusion of signature Nissan styling cues and dynamic strength. The look is adventure-ready with wheel-oriented muscular fenders and a strong, stable stance. The upper body features an open cabin with large windows which can be complemented with an available Dual Panoramic Moonroof, to enhance All-New Pathfinder’s open, airy interior environment.

Class-Leading comfort The new Pathfinder offers the benefits of a modern crossover with the comfort of a larger SUV with its flat floor enhancing interior packaging flexibility. All-New

Pathfinder’s unique versatility is exemplified in the design of the EZ Flex Seating System, giving 5.5 inches of sliding second row seating travel while additionally providing exceptional third row access even with a child safety seat remaining securely in place (on the passenger curb side).

Pathfinder’s quiet, comfortable interior benefits from a wide range of available features, rich leather-appointed seating surfaces; ventilated, heated and cooled front seats; sliding second row seats and an advanced Bose Audio System with 12 speakers.

Thoughtful technology Thoughtful technology is also found throughout the All-new Pathfinder interior, starting with Nissan’s advanced, classexclusive Around View Monitor, which provides the driver a virtual 360-degree image of the area around the vehicle. The instrument panel includes Advanced Drive-Assist Display (standard on every model) features a 4.0-inch LCD color display, and utilizes 3D-effect graphics to relay key information right in front of the driver. The instrument panel includes a large multifunction center IT display, available Nissan Navigation System, Streaming Audio via Bluetooth and Rear View Monitor.

Other technology includes Tri-Zone Automatic Climate Control, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, power rear lift-

gate, iPod integration and tri-zone entertainment system with 2nd row head restraint-mounted DVD display screens.

Rewarding driving experience Addressing buyers’ desire for more efficiency in every aspect of their lives, All-New Pathfinder’s engine and CVT combination develops 13% better acceleration than the previous generation while returning 30% better fuel efficiency. Featuring a 3.5-litre DOHC V6 engine mated to a next-generation Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) the ideal rpm for the driving conditions are always maintained. All-New Pathfinder is the only vehicle in class with selectable 2WD, Auto or 4WD Lock modes for its available intuitive ALL-MODE 4x4-i system. The system lets the driver choose full-time 2WD for maximum fuel economy, Auto mode to automatically monitor conditions and adjust the balance of power between front and rear wheels for best traction, or 4WD Lock mode when the confidence of full-time 4WD is desired. In addition, standard Hill Start Assist helps add control when starting and driving away on a steep incline (both 4WD and 2WD models).

With best-in-class standard towing capacity, up to 5000lb, the All-new Pathfinder also retains its ability to tow boats, jet skis, trailers and a variety of other recreational gear.

KIPCO posts KD31.3m net profit for 2012 Outstanding track record continues: COO

Samer Subhi

KUWAIT: KIPCO, the Kuwait Projects Company, has announced a net profit of KD31.3 million ($ 111.3 million), or 24.23 fils ($ 8.6 cents) per share for the year ended 31 December, 2012 an increase of 4.2 per cent on the KD30 million ($107.7 million) profit, or 24.14 fils ($ 8.7 cents) per share, reported in 2011.

KIPCO’s Board of Directors is recommending a cash dividend of 20 per cent (20 fils per share) and a 5 per cent stock dividend, subject to approval by the company’s General Assembly and regulatory authorities.

KIPCO said that its 2012 results reflected strong performances from its operating companies and that the proportion of recurring revenue streams grew over the year. KIPCO’s fourth quarter profit (for the three months ended December 31, 2012)

of KD7.6 million ($27 million) increased 19 per cent on the KD6.4 million ($ 23 million) profit achieved in the same period of 2011.

KIPCO’s total revenues for 2012 increased 26 per cent to KD443 million ($1.6 billion) compared to the KD351 million ($1.3 billion) reported in 2011.

KIPCO’s consolidated assets increased in 2012 to KD7.2 billion ($25.6 billion) from KD5.8 billion ($20.8 billion) in 2011.

Samer Khanachet, KIPCO’s Group Chief Operating Officer, said the company’s 2012 results continued the company’s track record of profitability: “These results mean that 2012 was KIPCO’s twenty-first consecutive year of profitability and, subject to approval, our eleventh consecutive year of paying dividends.

This outstanding track record has been maintained despite the problems afflicting the local, regional and global economies over the last few years. The underlying trends within our 2012 results point to an improvement in growth and profit in all our core sectors including banking, real estate and insurance. In particular, in the media sector, our broadcast company OSN has seen a dramatic improvement in revenue and earnings over the last 12 months. This is the result of improved customer satisfaction and retention, quality programming and the advanced technology the company continues to bring to the market.”

“Overall, we are pleased with the progress our companies are making and the results they achieved for 2012.

ABK customers at ‘Fantasy World’ on National Day

KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait will celebrate Kuwait’s National Day with its customers, especially the young Fahoodi account holders! Constantly hosting value added services and activities for its customers, ABK has something for everyone.

This time it’s the preference of the young Fahoodi account holders, who would fancy nothing better than the wonderful toy store ‘Fantasy World’, with whom ABK has collaborated to hold an exclusive event for them.

ABK is delighted to invite all its account holders on February 25th and 26th, to

attend celebrations from 5 pm to 8 pm at ‘Fantasy World’ in Al-Rai, upon showing their ABK card, connected to any ABK account.

During the evening, kids will have a fun and games time participating in various activities, including National day drawings, Kuwait Tower puzzles, and decoration of Kuwait Towers’ models. In addition to this, each child completing one or more activities at the event will receive a coupon worth KD15, valid for use at any of the ‘Fantasy World’ outlets.

Italy’s Campo Marzio Design opens its first boutique in Kuwait at The Avenues Mall KUWAIT: Globally renowned Italian fashion accessories brand “Campo Marzio Design” recently announced the official opening of its first boutique in Kuwait on February 19, 2013 with the valuable presence of the Italian Ambassador to Kuwait, Fabrizio Nicoletti, and Chairman of “Campo Marzio Design”, Roberto Di Giorgio.

Located at the Mezzanine floor of the Mall area, at the Avenues Mall (Phase 3), “Campo Marzio Design” brings for the first time in Kuwait the best of its stunning array of colors and luxury in true Italian style.

Defined by the concept “Business is Fashion”, the collections consists of stunning writing instruments, including leather desk and personal accessories such as office accessories, laptop bags and sleeves, a wide collection of luxury pens, notebooks, document holders, wallets, wax seals, portfolios, jewelry cases and more, all available across a wide variety of colors and styles exclusively designed by a special Italian design group supervised by Roberto Di Giorgio, founder of the “Campo Marzio Design” concept.

Attended VIPs and members of the media, the event was an invitation to all corporate and local companies to discover and have access to a wide range of unique office and personal accessories especially created to make their work environment

chic and organized.

In this occasion, Ahmed Al-Huzami, Managing Partner of “Campo Marzio” brand in Kuwait stated: “I personally believe that Campo Marzio’s unique products will contribute to the office accessories industry in Kuwait and will give a new chance for the consumer to have more fashionable and durable products for their offices and business lifestyle.”

Commenting on the opening, the Italian Ambassador to Kuwait, Fabrizio Nicoletti said : “I am very glad to open the first Campo Marzio Design Boutique in Kuwait, in this splendid location. Campo Marzio is even more than a brand, it is a full concept, connected with vision and quality of life. That’s why “Made in Italy” is so successful in the world, and Kuwait makes no exception, as economic relationships between Italy and Kuwait are excellent and are growing. Indeed, my hope is that this growth will continue stronger in the near future and will last for a long time.”

He also added: “I take the occasion to thank Roberto Di Giorgio - Chairman and CEO of Campo Marzio Design in Italy, and Ahmad Al-Huzaimi the Campo Marzio Design agent in Kuwait - that invited me for this opening, wishing them a long-lasting success in their venture.”

On his part, Roberto Di Giorgio, Chairman and Founder of “Campo Marzio Design” explained: “I’m extremely happy to have the honor of opening the 6th branch of this store in the GCC. We are today looking forward to open more branches and extend our network and boutiques.”

Having already established its brand internationally with stores in more than 72 points of sale worldwide, and being one of the most important trade marks in the office accessories industry, “Campo Marzio Design” has today landed into the Kuwaiti market and will hopefully contribute to its growth and place Kuwait on the world map.

Established in Rome, Italy, in the 1930s, Campo Marzio is a heritage brand with a wealth of experience, spanning 80 years, in designing stationery and writing instruments. In the 1990s the brand was redefined and took the next step by offering a collection of ‘limited edition’ products rooted in traditional Italian craftsmanship.

Nowadays the brand consists of more than 44 Stores in 27 countries in Europe, The Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania and can be found in the greatest fashion districts worldwide and has remained a point of reference for people who love style, beauty and the refined culture of writing.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

technology

Wireless show expected to draw crowds to Barcelona BARCELONA: When the top executives of the world’s wireless industry gather next week in Barcelona for their annual trade show, cellphones will take a back seat to talk of cars, electric meters and insulin monitors.

That idea of empowering new devices with wireless connections has been percolating for years. General Motors cars have had wireless OnStar connections for more than a decade. But the push is intensifying now that most people have cellphones -and the wireless industry’s future growth depends on it. That means the GSM Mobile World Congress, the telecommunications industry’s largest annual trade show, will be abuzz with discussion of devices like “smart” meters that report a home’s usage of electricity, natural gas or water back to the utility, and to your phone.

“You’ll see more things that are ‘today’ things versus ‘tomorrow’ things at the show,” said Glenn

Lurie, AT&T’s president of “emerging devices.”

AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson will speak at the show, which runs Monday through Thursday.

He’ll be rubbing shoulders with the CEOs of Deutsche Telekom AG, parent of T-Mobile USA; Nokia Corp. and Vodafone Group PLC, the British company that owns 45 percent of Verizon Wireless.

Another big theme at the show will be NearField Communications, or NFC. Cellphones are great at communicating with distant people and websites, but not at connecting to things in their immediate surroundings. The process of communicating with a phone that’s 3 feet away is the same as if it’s 300 miles away. Now, smartphones are getting new chips that allow them to connect to similarly equipped phones to transfer videos quickly - a capability Samsung has featured in some mildly salacious ads.

The chips also let phones talk directly to card-

swipe terminals in stores, which has set off a race to organize and control the new world of mobile payments. For the occasion, most of Barcelona’s taxi cabs have been outfitted with terminals that let them accept a “tap” from a phone as a mode of payment.

The show itself is set to be the biggest since its founding in 1995. The GSM Association, which organizes the shows, expects more than 70,000 attendees, and the demand for exhibit space has forced a move from the historic conference center at the foot of the Montjuic hill to a larger, more modern venue further from the city center.

Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer for the GSMA, expects the show to inject 300 milion euros, or $400 million, into the local economy and create 6,500 part-time jobs.

Last year, a massive protest against government anti-austerity measures closed the entrance

to the conference center for hours. This year, only a minor disturbance is expected: a Wednesday demonstration by phone-company workers over a local grievance.

Those expecting the hottest new phones to make their appearance at the show may be disappointed. Phone makers have moved away from announcing their new phones at trade shows, preferring instead to host their own events. “People try to move a little bit out of the noise of the event,” O’Hara said.

Research In Motion Ltd., which is changing its name to BlackBerry, and HTC Corp. both held events in New York in the last month to launch new smartphones. Samsung Electronics, the biggest maker of smartphones in the world, is expected to wait until after the show to reveal the successor to its flagship phone, the Galaxy S III. — AP

Vision of the Sony boss behind PlayStation 4

SAN FRANCISCO: A Google employee wears Glass at Google’s Developers Conference on June 27, 2012 in San Francisco, California. Google Glass, available for pre-orders to developers at $1,500, feeds the user information and uploads data and images from and to the web. — AFP

Google plans to sell Internet glasses to contest winners Spectacles respond to voice commands SAN FRANCISCO: Google is giving more people a chance to pay $1,500 for a pair of the Internet-connected glasses that the company is touting as the next breakthrough in mobile computing. The product, dubbed “Google Glass,” will be offered to “bold, creative individuals” selected as part of a contest announced Wednesday. Participants must live in the US and submit an application of up to 50 words explaining what they would do with the Google Glass technology. Entries must include the hash tag “ifihadglass” and be submitted through Google Plus or Twitter by next Wednesday. Google did not say how many glasses it will sell this way.

Winners will receive the “Explorer” version of Google Glass, a forerunner of the product that is expected to be released to the mass market next year. Google Inc. already sold an unspecified number of the glasses to computer programmers who also paid $1,500 apiece at a company conference last June.

The people picked to buy this next batch of glasses will be notified in mid- to late March.

They will have to travel to New York, Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay area to pick them up.

Google Glass is supposed to perform many of the same tasks as smartphones, except the spectacles respond to voice commands instead of fingers touching a display screen. The glasses include a tiny display screen attached to a rim above the right eye and run on Google’s Android operating system for mobile devices.

Because no hands are required to operate them, Google Glass is supposed to make it easier for people to take pictures or record video wherever they might be or whatever they might be doing. Online searches also can be more easily conducted by just telling Google Glass to look up a specific piece of information. Google’s Android system already

has a voice search function on smartphones and tablet computers.

In the latest demonstration of the product’s potential, Google posted a video showing people wearing the glasses while skydiving, riding a rollercoaster, skiing, riding a horse and even swinging on a trapeze. The company, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., also posted photos of the glasses in five different colors: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton and sky blue.

To gauge how people might use its glasses, Google is encouraging entrants in its contest to include up to five photos and 15 seconds of video with their applications. The company doesn’t want to see any nudity or violence. “Basically, don’t add anything you wouldn’t be OK with your Mom seeing,” Google advised. Google Glass is at the forefront of a new wave of technology known as “wearable computing.”

When he demonstrated the glasses at last June’s company conference, Google cofounder Sergey Brin acknowledged the company was still working out bugs and trying to figure out how to extend the product’s battery life. Brin has been overseeing the work on Google Glass, which the company first began developing in 2010 as part of a secretive company division now known as Google X. Now that Google Glass is no longer a secret, Brin is often seen wearing the product in public. He sported a pair of the glasses during a Wednesday appearance at an event announcing the creation of a $3 million annual prize for outstanding achievements in medicine and biology. Brin, who owns Google stock currently worth nearly $20 billion, is helping to fund the annual awards. Brin has said the mass-market version of Google Glass will cost less than $1,500, but more than a smartphone. — AP

Mexican Facebook page threatened over crime posts MEXICO CITY: A Facebook wall post denouncing crime is apparently dangerous stuff in Mexico’s drug-infested north, where the administrator of a popular page on the social network has received threats.

The page Valor por Tamaulipas has more than 164,000 “likes” as people follow its updates on gunfights, kidnappings, the presence of gunmen or roadblocks set up by drug traffickers in the state of Tamaulipas.

But the page has garnered enemies as well. Last week, fliers were distributed in the state capital Ciudad Victoria offering 600,000 pesos, or $46,500, “for whoever has exact information about the owner of the page ‘Valor por Tamaulipas.’”

The pamphlets, which came with a phone number to call, extended the treat to the “direct relatives” of the page’s administrator. The page administrator told AFP that the threats he has received “could be linked to corrupt authorities and members of the Z,” referring to the ultra-violent Zetas drug cartel.

“One key characteristic that makes me think of corrupt authorities is the way that the threat is written, with few grammar mistakes and without the signature of any criminal group,” the administrator said on condition of anonymity.

The authorities of Ciudad Victoria, which has a population of more than

300,000, would have needed Zetas authorization since the gang controls the city, the administrator said. Reporting on the crimes committed by drug cartels has made Mexico one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, prompting some newspapers to self-censor the type of information given by Valor por Tamaulipas.

Since 2000, 82 journalists have been killed and another 18 have disappeared in Mexico, according to the National Human Rights Commission. More than 800 media workers have filed complaints with the authorities, while media buildings have been attacked in the past 13 years.

In 2009, eight media workers disappeared in the Tamaulipas city of Nuevo Laredo. Seven of them reappeared later in other parts of the country but never returned home.

In September 2011, the decapitated body of Maria Elizabeth Macias, a 39-yearold mother of two, was left in a Nuevo Laredo monument next to a keyboard and a message saying she was killed for reporting on the activities of criminal organizations on social media. The message was signed “zzzz.” Days earlier, the bodies of a man and a woman were hanged off a bridge in the same city with messages threatening anyone using the Internet to denounce crime.—AFP

NEW YORK: Sony’s PlayStation 4 launch event on Wednesday has drawn excitement, criticism and curiosity from the gaming community. While some were intrigued by the company’s vision of a powerful PC-like console at the centre of a broad range of connected devices, others were frustrated by the lack of a physical product reveal, and by the familiar range of games on offer.

Stage-managing the development and rollout of the console is Shuhei Yoshida, Sony’s head of worldwide studios. A vital cog in the PlayStation R&D machine since the very beginning, Yoshida is a passionate gamer and habitual tweeter, providing a human face to the corporate edifice that is Sony. This reporter got chance to talk to him on Thursday, in his last interview of the day before returning from New York to Tokyo.

Here’s what he had to say.

During the conference on Wednesday, Andrew House [Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment] talked about how the PS4 was designed in conjunction with developers. This reminded me of PlayStation 1 and how Sony went around the world visiting studios and gathering opinions. Were you consciously returning to that way of doing things?

It’s interesting you ask that - and yes, when you look at it that way, we did a similar thing to when we made PS1. We kind of stopped doing that in later years, but this time, we made a conscious decision. Kaz Hirai instructed our development studio to be part of the hardware and platform group for PS4 and PS Vita in 2008. And also SCEI brought in Mark Cerny - who has been our longest partner, all the way back to the Crash Bandicoot days - as the system architect for PS4.

He has had some part in the PS Vita development as well.

The initial brief from Kaz was, take the ideas and desire from game developers both internally and externally to create the new hardware. Yes, in retrospect, that is similar to our approach with PlayStation 1.

become available digitally, we’ll have more of an option to create attractive packages. So hypothetically we can look at different models - like a cable TV company. We could have gold, silver or platinum levels of membership, something like that. We can do subscription services when we have more content - especially now that we have the Gaikai technology available. With one subscription you have access to thousands of games - that’s our dream.

What are you hoping to see from developers for launch?

From the first-party standpoint we want to have titles that show the unique capabilities of the hardware - that’s part of our remit. In terms of the number of titles, we don’t control third-party publishers, but they’ve been working on PS4 games for a long time. I expect many games that’s what we hear from our external development teams! It’s not our role to pile on lots more titles.

How do you think developers will embrace your five guiding principles of PS4 gaming?

These five key principles were the things that developers wanted - they’re avid gamers too.

They want simplicity and immediacy - it gets frustrating if you have an hour to play and have to spend half of that updating your game. We want to eliminate all of that. Our internal teams are the harshest critics of what we do - so we made immediacy the focus.

Some pundits say that consoles are dead or dying, that there’s no need for dedicated games machines when we have smart TVs and tablets. How do you answer that?

specting people’s curiosity - I apologise for that.

But as a game developer, I’m much more into how the games work, and the controller is crucial for us developers - without the input device we can’t make games of the best quality. A box is a box to us! But yes, I appreciate that it’s symbolic, people want a games console to look good so they can be proud of owning it and of course our hardware design team are working hard on that.

This whole idea of removing the barriers to content seems to be a vital one. People can just switch on a TV and watch a programme, but deciding to play a game can be an arduous process of finding it, downloading it, downloading updates ... Do you think that can all be consigned to the past?

Absolutely. Yes. I find myself spending more time playing Vita games and I think part of the reason for that is it’s immediate. I can stop at any time without quitting and it’s instantaneous to start again. I don’t have to quit out or reboot. It’s wonderful. That’s one part of immediacy - the other is waiting for downloads. That’s ridiculous, that’s crazy! We want to get out of this madness with PlayStation 4. The games are big, they’re 50GB; download isn’t instantaneous. So we’re making purchase available from any device, so when you’re at work, you can spend a couple of moments looking at PlayStation Store and choosing a game, and straight away it starts to download at home. It may take a couple of hours but that’s okay because you’re still at work.

Also, similarly to progressive download on some movie services, you don’t have to wait for all the data to download before you start playing.

Once you have the minimum amount of data downloaded you can begin the game, and while you play, the remaining data downloads. It takes some engineering input from developers so we’re

What were the fundamental things that developers were asking for? From chatting to a few studios it seems social connectivity was a key element, but then the PC-like architecture has also been mentioned... Were these the two most common requests?

Yes, I can say that. Development on PS3 was very hard because of the unique architecture, so we made the decision use a more popular architectures so developers would be able to use the same tools and engines, and make a seamless move to PS4 - that was a big focus. They also wanted a larger amount of system memory as well!

Connectivity was a big area, both between players and between devices. Developers are very far ahead in thinking how they can use different platforms and social network services with console games - we thought yes, that’s what we want to do as well. These things can be done on the game side, but as with any other network features, gamers don’t want to have to set-up lots of different accounts when they play different games. We wanted to provide these features from the system side so that people only have to download the application once, allowing them to connect their iOS and Android handsets to PS4.

It’s an additional option for developers to create their own dedicated applications on these devices, but I expect more developers will choose to use our app as it’s so easy.

It was interesting to see the indie game designer Jonathan Blow on stage at your event. How important is it to you to support smaller studios?

I believe it’s very important for the platform to have a wide variety of developers making things that are unique and creative. We’re shifting our platform more and more to the digital side - PS4 will be similar to PS Vita in that every game will be available as a digital download, and some will also be available as a disc. The Witness will be a digital release and because of the flexibility of the digital distribution scheme, we can have more small games that might be free or available for a couple of dollars, or different services like free-toplay or subscription models.

On that subject, I really expected you to announce a “Spotify for games”-type service, allowing gamers to sign up and pay a monthly fee to access as many titles as they like. Is that something we can look forward to?

As more and more services and contents

Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida hopes the PlayStation 4 will bring greater immediacy.

They need headlines! And they want us to say “no, consoles are important” so they can write more stories! Seriously, unless we show something unique and amazing, consumers won’t be interested in dedicated hardware because they can play on devices they already own. So if the experience on PS4 is not greater than tablet, why bother? It’s our responsibility to provide that, with the hardware and system features as well as game development. The game experience is not just playing, it’s talking about games, it’s watching other people play - that’s all part of the enjoyment and we wanted to make that easier. It’s like Media Molecule said - they want to make creativity easy for everyone. well, in the same way, we want to make sharing great moments of gameplay easier.

talking to the community. We’re evangelising it.

We’ve seen a lot of familiar brands - it seems that shoot-’em-ups and driving games are still dominating. But I love games like Journey and Tokyo Jungle - how important is it that you ensure developers can explore offbeat concepts?

[Laughs] We have not finalised the hardware yet and decided not to try to get it finished in time. Also, it’s a long time from February to launch, we have to design our communication in phases. Our focus here was to show some games and talk about the key principles - we wanted to save the unveiling of the actual console.

I love these kinds of games! My top three favourite games last year were Journey, Tokyo Jungle and Sound Shapes. They’re wonderful games. I spend lots of times tweeting about these games - I wish more people knew about them!

What we’re doing with PS4 is we’re trying to serve the right content to the right people. So Sound Shapes and Tokyo Jungle might not be for everyone, but there are certain people who love those types of games - once we know you like games like Tokyo Jungle, when a game like that comes out, we can push it onto your main screen, and suggest you try it - that’s what we mean by personalisation. We want more games like this on PSN, but these games have to reach the right people in order to be successful. We want to use our network services to achieve that.

If you need any ideas for Tokyo Jungle 2, I have a lot.

(Laughs) Well you know, the beauty of these games is that we never make sequels - there will be no Journey 2, I don’t think. These developers tend to want to do new things.

But is the design of the final console important to Sony? Is it a major consideration?

In a year’s time, what will the PS4 gaming experience look like?

I think if you asked different people within our company that question, you would get different answers! I was criticised when I said, why bother show the case? Who cares? Some said I was disre-

In a couple of years I’d like to be playing PS4 games on all my devices, with the main experience on the big screen, and smaller sections on mobile screens ... It will all be connected.

Sony has been criticised for not actually showing the PlayStation 4 at the launch event. Was this because you wanted to save something for E3 or because you still have six different prototypes on your desk and can’t decide between them?

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

No trace of horse DNA in Nestle meals: Italy ROME/ZURICH: Italy’s Health Ministry said yesterday that tests had found no trace of horse DNA in minced beef meals

by Swiss food giant Nestle that were removed from sale on Monday. Nestle removed the ready-made beef ravioli and tortellini sold under its Buitoni brand from shelves in Italy and Spain and halted production of the meals after its own tests had found more than 1 percent horse DNA in the products. Italian authorities seized 26 tonnes of affected

beef products on Thursday after Nestle withdrew the meals - the latest company to become embroiled in the scandal that has highlighted the complexities of Europe’s food chain.

“No trace of horse DNA has been found in Nestle cooked and frozen minced beef,” the ministry said in a statement. It was not immediately clear what the outcome was of the tests of the food seized in Spain. The Italian tests were carried out on beef products that had been

stored at the Safim plant near Turin, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Italy also ordered the seizure yesterday of about 6 tonnes of frozen beef lasagne made by Italian group PRIMIA after tests showed the presence of horse meat, an official with Italy’s NAS, a police unit that monitors health and safety standards, told Reuters. A Nestle spokesman welcomed the ministry’s decision to release its products.

“We are happy the ministry’s tests came back negative,” spokesman Chris Hogg said in an email to Reuters. “Our focus now though is on restarting production of these products today and tomorrow with a new supplier, using beef we have tested to ensure it contains no horse DNA.” The Swiss company had suspended production of the affected goods at its Moretta factory, in Piedmont, on Monday, the spokesman said.

Nestle had also suspended deliveries

of all products using beef from German subcontractor HJ Schypke. The panEuropean scandal has prompted widespread product withdrawals, consumer concern and government investigations into the continent’s food processing systems. Although horse meat poses little or no health risk, the discoveries have damaged the confidence of consumers in supermarkets and fast-food chains since it was first identified in Irish beefburgers. — Reuters

Monkey-mothering 24-hour chore for Colombian woman Apes’ natural habitat destroyed by deforestation

BOGOTA: The tiny night monkey is with Martha Silva 24 hours a day, nestled in a wool pouch inside her coat or beside her while she sleeps. Eight times a day, she feeds milk to the five-inch baby like an attentive mother. The long hours of monkey mothering don’t bother the 54-year-old Colombian woman, she said, because she already raised two children. “To me there is no difference.

You have to look after each the same.

When you give them the bottle, you have to make sure they don’t choke,”

told The Associated Press. Her husband and daughter help her with the household chores and cooking while she is occupied with a baby animal.

Now she is looking after the night monkey, a member of the Aotus genus, which lives in the tropical forests of South America, including Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador. Night monkeys got their name because of their unusual nocturnal habits.

“When I’m working, I make sure he doesn’t get out of the little bag I have. If there is sun, I take him out of

brought in by a man who said he found it abandoned on the side of a highway in Colombia’s eastern plains near Meta province, said Judith Cardenas, the center’s chief biologist.

The monkey was about 5 days old when it arrived, and the man said he couldn’t bring himself to leave it to die, Cardenas said.

Biologists at the center don’t how this baby ended up being orphaned, but they say the mother may have been killed or perhaps the baby strayed off. Cardenas said Amazon-

BOGOTA: A 15-day-old night monkey is fed by at a temporary shelter west of Bogota, Colombia. —AP said Silva, who works with the neonatal unit of Bogota’s Wildlife Reception Center, part of the capital’s environment ministry.

Silva, who has children aged 20 and 30, began working at the center west of Bogota in 2000. She has nurtured species ranging from birds to turtles to primates. “I carry them with me for a couple of months, in general, or the time that is required,” she

the sun,” she said.

Silva never gives her animal charges names so they don’t become seen as pets. In the long term, the center aims to return them to the wild. Her latest baby, a male night monkey with dark fur, beige brows and large, protruding brown eyes for night vision, arrived at the center on Feb 4, weighing a scant 100 grams, about a quarter of a pound. It was

region monkeys are often hunted for meat, for experiments or as pets.

Silva, a pony-tailed woman with nails painted emerald green, made a small bag of brown and black cloth squares to hold the monkey, which is still too young to walk. They sleep together and Silva takes the monkey to the center each day on her bicycle, the baby snug in the wool bag.

Every three hours, the monkey

must be fed delactosed milk with vitamins added, Cardenas said. In the wild, adult night monkeys eat leaves, insects and small lizards and frogs.

When he grows up, the monkey will weigh 800 to 900 grams (1.75 to 2 pounds) and stand about 34 centimeters (13.4 inches), Cardenas said, adding that he will look like “a medium-sized teddy bear.”

She said this type of primate passes the first three or four months of its life clinging to or hanging from the back of a parent as it swings through the trees. Orphaned, they need a substitute mother, like Silva with her wool bag kept close to her body.

Having substitute mothers for orphaned baby monkeys has been used in other parts of the world and in Colombia in recent years.

The idea, Cardenas said, is to let a baby monkey grow and then place it in a large cage in the center, next to another monkey of the same species.

If they accept being in the same cage together, the center and environmentalists will begin a process of trying to introduce them into the Amazon jungle with a monkey group. “This kind of primate lives in family groups, with a father, mother and children... They are a bit like us,” said veterinarian Claudia Brieva, who coordinates the center’s rescue and rehabilitation unit.

She said an older orphaned monkey can’t be released alone into the jungle. A baby can be accepted by another family, however, or create its own, she said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists a dozen types of night monkeys on its Red List of threatened species.

Though none is listed as endangered, several are suffering declining populations. In Colombia, Brieva said, “Their natural habitats are being destroyed by the expansion of the agricultural frontier, by the indiscriminate cutting of the forests and jungle.” Silva says she has raised two other baby monkeys and both of those were freed in different parts of the country. She hasn’t heard anything about them since. “It is like with a child. You are at peace because they are going to be in their natural habitat,” she said. —AP

Turtles nursed back to health after record rescue from cold CHARLESTON: A veterinarian punched a syringe into the tough, wrinkled neck of an endangered sea turtle named Crowe one day this week at the South Carolina Aquarium and drew dark, red blood to test whether the animal was ready to be sent back into the wild. The Kemp’s Ridley turtle was among the record number of rescued sea turtles stunned by cold water in the US Northeast late last fall. Despite weeks of antibiotics, vitamin injections and fluids, an X-ray revealed Crowe had joint swelling in his flippers and still was not healthy enough for release.

Kemp’s Ridley is the most endangered of sea turtle species, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Turtles “beat themselves up in captivity,” said veterinarian Shane Boylan, who has been treating the animal at the aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina.

Similar efforts have been underway at 17 aquariums, marine facilities and labs from New England to Florida since more than 200 loggerheads, Kemp’s Ridley and green sea turtles fell victim to a preThanksgiving cold snap in otherwise warm waters.

The hypothermic turtles, some of which were emaciated or had pneumonia, initially were brought to Boston’s New England Aquarium as part of an unprecedented large turtle rescue by the facility. But the aquarium’s turtle hospital is designed to hold no more than 70 animals and was quickly overwhelmed, said Connie Merigo, rescue department manager and senior biologist. “One hundred loggerheads came in, each weighing 20 to 90 pounds,” she said. The aquarium kept the turtles that were in critical condition and transferred 139 others by van and

TODTMOO: Husky dogs play yesterday during an international dog sled race in Todtmoos, Germany. —AFP

private plane to various East Coast facilities, she said.

Turtles flown south The US Coast Guard flew 35 sick turtles and their medical records on a C-130 transport plane to Florida, where they were divided among several marine facilities. The South Carolina Aquarium took in 15 sea turtles at its turtle hospital, said Kelly Thorvalson, manager of the aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rescue Program. Weeks of treatment followed to reverse the severe effects of cold water stunning.

“Their bodies shut down. Their digestive system shuts down. Their heart rates slow,” she said. Of the 242 sea turtles brought to the New England Aquarium, two dozen were dead on arrival and another two dozen died there, New England Aquarium’s Merigo said. The reason for the record number of cold-stunned turtles remains something of a mystery. Sea turtles have survived as a species for more than 100 million years and overcome huge odds on their migratory swims over thousands of miles, according to scientists. Kemp’s Ridleys are one of the smallest sea turtles, growing to about 2 feet in length and weighing up to 100 pounds. They nest on the western Gulf of Mexico and range as far as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Their population dropped to a critical count of only 702 nesting females in 1985 but government protection has brought the number back to about 20,000. Atlantic loggerheads, which can live for decades and weigh hundreds of pounds, migrate in a great circle as far as the Azores in the north Atlantic and back to their nesting beaches in the southeastern United States. Green sea turtles, which grow to be 4 feet long and weigh hundreds of pounds, live and range throughout the world. Their population is threatened mostly by commercial harvesting of their eggs and meat.

Trapped in Cape Cod Bay They face the risk of drowning in shrimp nets and fishing lines, getting hit by boats or being sickened by ocean pollution. On land, their nesting habitats have been destroyed by coastal development. Every year, a number of sea turtles get trapped in Cape Cod Bay because the shape of the bay prevents them from swimming south or west without running into land when it begins to get cold. If they swim north, they hit colder water and retreat, New England Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse said. —Reuters

Megan O’Laughlin works out despite having just broken her elbow two weeks ago, in the “Total Body” aerobics class at Cooper Aerobics Center, February 2, 2013. —MCT

How to exercise after sickness or surgery DALLAS: Megan O’Laughlin works hard to maintain her weight loss and fitness level.

She’s diligent about portion control. She runs regularly and takes aerobics and weighttraining classes at Cooper Aerobics Center.

So when she fell while running December’s Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon in Las Vegas and broke her elbow, she had a big question for her doctor: “How soon can I start running again?”

“I used to be morbidly obese,” said the Dallas attorney, who ran the last nine miles of the race without knowing the extent of her injury. “I lost more than half my body weight. When you go through that, one fear is gaining weight back.” Another was losing the level of fitness she’d worked so hard to attain. The injury was, she said, “like having the rug pulled out from under me. For someone who is addicted to exercise as mental therapy, it’s really hard to be sidelined.”

Luckily, avid exercisers can find ways to ease back into a routine during recovery from injury or illness - if they’re careful about it. Meanwhile, being injured, getting sick or having surgery can send diehard exercisers’ spirits into a sedentary tailspin. “For people who exercise regularly, exercise becomes part of them,” said Bill Borowski, director for athletic training services at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Texas. “It’s part of their social network, stress relief, everything else.”

O’Laughlin has spent almost every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for the last six years running with groups from Luke’s Locker. She misses the camaraderie, she said.

But she knows if she doesn’t do what she’s supposed to do - including three hours of physical therapy every day - her recovery will be longer. The line between taking it too easy and rushing recovery is a narrow one, said Dr. Damond Blueitt, a sports medicine physician on the medical staff of Texas Health Fort Worth.

“With prolonged bed rest, you lose muscle mass, you lose strength,” he said.

“Prolonged bed rest can decrease bone calcium.” It can also increase the risk of blood clots because the blood is static, he said. But trying to speed your recovery can be dangerous, too. “Say you had a surgery where you were repairing something,” he said. “You have a lot of blood vessels in that area. The tissue gets altered. Any time you do an exercise where you get your heart rate up, more blood is going to that area. One of the consequences is that it may produce more swelling, more scarring.”

Just as frightening is the potential for infection if you’re sweating and the wound gets dirty, he said. “If someone has surgery and stitches, don’t get your heart rate up high for four or five days,” he says. “Let the tissue heal some.” Most important, ask your doctor, and listen to the answer. “You have to be specific,” he says. “If the doctor says, ‘I want you to rest for two weeks,’ ask what that means. ‘Does that mean I can’t go for a slow walk? Does it mean I can’t go light on the

exercise bike or do light resistance training?’”

A stationary bike is often a go-to recommendation for Borowski, who tailors clients’ workouts based on what their doctors advise. “It’s nonimpact in general, so you’re not getting a pounding like when you’re running,” he said. “You’re still using quads and hamstrings. It’s just a little different.” Pilates instructor Marilyn Levitt will work with injured clients only after they have a doctor’s release. Often, they come to her to learn how to modify their workouts while they heal.

“Engaging in different types of exercise is so important,” said Levitt, owner of Core Pilates Dallas. “It’s tough being told you can’t run for a while. But that time could be used to strengthen other areas of the body. “You can always do something else,” she said.

“People who want to will find something they can do.”

Advised Blueitt: “There’s usually always something you can do to get your blood flowing and your heart rate up so you don’t have such a tough time recovering. You get better results after surgery if you can get that person moving again, but you want to make sure they’re not doing things to affect the area that needs rest.”

He uses as an example Mohs surgery, which is a layer-by-layer removal of a skin cancer often followed by a skin graft. “I’d ask if you can go for a nice, slow walk,” Blueitt says. “Things we try to avoid are running.

What if you slipped and fell? You messed up a skin graft. But walking gets the blood flowing, or light resistance training with dumbbells in the house.”

What he, Levitt and Borowski stress is the neck rule: If your illness is from the neck up, you’re probably OK to work out. “When I really won’t work with a client,” Levitt said, “is when they are sick with a fever or something in the chest.” “Once you get a chest problem, be careful,” Blueitt said. For people like O’Laughlin who work out regularly and worry about dropping their fitness level or gaining weight, he has encouraging words. First, if you’re in fairly good shape, “it will take a while to lose a substantial amount” of fitness and will be easier to get it back.

As far as weight, Bluieitt said, yes, you may gain some. Once you start moving again, you’ll drop it. Besides, he said, “Your body is working in overload to heal. So usually the caloric intake you don’t have to watch as much because you need those extra calories to help the body heal.” O’Laughlin has been relieved to find that she didn’t gain weight.

In fact, her post-surgery experience has had the opposite effect.

“It’s crazy because my first fear was that I’d start gaining weight,” she said. “Without even trying, I’ve lost about 3 pounds. I think even if I’m not getting my heart rate up with a cardio workout, I’m being so active with physical therapy that I’m burning more calories. “I wouldn’t think sitting on my butt and moving my arm would burn calories, but apparently it does.” —MCT

penguin stranded on NZ beach dies

WELLINGTON: A royal penguin that became stranded on a beach more than 1,000 miles from its sub-Antarctic home has died at a New Zealand zoo. The penguin was emaciated and suffering kidney failure when it arrived at the Wellington Zoo after being found Sunday by hikers. The zoo did the best it could, Lisa Argilla, the facility’s veterinary science manager, said Friday. They suspect the penguin suffered multiple organ failure. It was severely underweight, she said, and had no reserves.

The penguin was about a year old, 50 centimeters (20 inches) long and weighed about 2.7 kilograms (6 pounds) when it arrived, Argilla said. Royal penguins can grow to about 75 centimeters (30 inches) and 5.5 kilograms (12 pounds). They have a yellow crest, eat krill and squid and generally live around Macquarie Island, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. They are considered a threatened species but not endan-

gered. They shed all their feathers during an annual molt, which the New Zealand penguin had been doing when found. Its sex had not been determined.

It was just the fourth time over the past 100 years that a royal penguin has been found on the North Island of New Zealand. Jenny Boyne, who lives near Tora Beach where the penguin was found, said she drove it to the zoo in a fish crate after staff suggested she bring it in. “It sat down like a little quiet lamb,” she said. The bird stood up briefly a couple of times and honked but generally lay still for the two-hour journey, she said. She blasted the air conditioning and spritzed the bird with water after zoo staff instructed her to keep it cool. It had revived memories of another penguin, an emperor nicknamed Happy Feet, that arrived in 2011 and whose recovery at the zoo captured the hearts of many before he was released. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

Six leaking tanks are nuke site’s latest woe YAKIMA: Federal and state officials say six underground tanks holding a brew of radioactive and toxic waste are leaking at the country’s most contaminated nuclear site in south-central Washington, raising concerns about delays for emptying the aging tanks. The leaking materials at Hanford Nuclear Reservation pose no immediate risk to public safety or the environment because it would take perhaps years for the chemicals to reach groundwater, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday.

But the news has renewed discussion over delays for emptying the tanks, which were installed decades ago and are long past their intended 20-year life span.

“None of these tanks would be accept-

able for use today. They are all beyond their design life. None of them should be in service,” said Tom Carpenter of Hanford Challenge, a Hanford watchdog group.

“And yet, they’re holding two-thirds of the nation’s high-level nuclear waste.” Just last week, state officials announced that one of Hanford’s 177 tanks was leaking 150 to 300 gallons a year, posing a risk to groundwater and rivers. So far, nearby monitoring wells haven’t detected higher radioactivity levels.

Inslee then traveled to Washington, DC, to discuss the problem with federal officials, learning in meetings Friday that six tanks are leaking. The declining waste levels in the six tanks were missed because only a narrow band of measurements was

evaluated, rather than a wider band that would have shown the levels changing over time, Inslee said.

“It’s like if you’re trying to determine if climate change is happening, only looking at the data for today,” he said. “Perhaps human error, the protocol did not call for it.

But that’s not the most important thing at the moment. The important thing now is to find and address the leakers.” Department of Energy spokeswoman Lindsey Geisler said there was no immediate health risk and that federal officials would work with Washington state to address the matter.

Regardless, Sen. Ron Wyden, the new chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, will ask the

Government Accountability Office to investigate Hanford’s tank monitoring and maintenance program, said his spokesman, Tom Towslee. The federal government built the Hanford facility at the height of World War II as part of the Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. The remote site produced plutonium for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, and continued supporting the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal for years. Today, it is the most contaminated nuclear site in the country, still surrounded by sagebrush but with Washington’s TriCities of Richland, Kennewick and Pasco several miles downriver. Several years ago, workers at Hanford completed two of three projects deemed urgent risks to the public

and the environment, removing all weapons-grade plutonium from the site and emptying leaky pools that held spent nuclear fuel just 400 yards from the river.

But successes at the site often are overshadowed by delays, budget overruns and technological challenges. Nowhere have those challenges been more apparent than in Hanford’s central plateau, home to the site’s third most urgent project: emptying the tanks. Hanford’s tanks hold some 53 million gallons of highly radioactive waste enough to fill dozens of Olympic-size swimming pools - and many of those tanks are known to have leaked in the past. An estimated 1 million gallons of radioactive liquid has already leaked there. —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

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BSK students visit Oman

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he Eastern Hajarmountains of Oman were once again the destination for the final expedition for the 58 students participating in the Bronze level of the International Award for Young People at The British School of Kuwait. The first day of the trip was spent in Muscat, where route planning was completed, provisions for the entire trek were bought and an enjoyable evening was spent visiting the MutrahSouq. After this, it was an early start the next day to make the bus journey into the interior of Oman, via the his-

toric towns of Bahla and Nizwa. Thanks to the tar road, the buses were able to make it up to what would be the highest point of the trek (2135m). But from that point on the students to make the descent on foot, thankfully without rucksacks, as the provisions and kit were ferried down to the bottom of the valleyin 4x4 vehicles.

The groups camped among the palm trees near the village of BaladSayt, surrounded by the towering walls of the wadi and fell asleep illuminated by the full moon.

Early next morning the walking groups began their ascent out of the wadi but this time carrying all the kit in the rucksacks. The start of the climb was challenging, and several students felt the pace. But the motivation and encouragement of the groups kept everyone going and they pushed on until the walking became almost enjoyable. The tremendous views and panorama certainly helped. The camp at the top of the climb was a bit more windswept, but no less impressive than the previous night’s location and every-

one could rest a little easier knowing that the back of the trek had been broken.

The final part of the trek was a gentler descent down a rocky path, again helped by the magnificent views over the mountain range. Time then to head back to Muscat Airport for the return to Kuwait.

Thankfully the BSK party returned safely with everyone changed a little with the knowledge and pride that they had pushed themselves physically and mentally, and as part of a group, had triumphed.

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n Friday evening February 22nd, 2013 Hadeel Al-Sadder was wedded to Mazin Abu Al-Jibain. Family members, friends and guests celebrated the occasion at the Regency Hotel. We wish the new couple all the best in their new life and many happy days to come.

Zacharia in Kuwait to attend literary meet

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enowned Malayalam writer Zacharia has arrived in Kuwait yesterday to attend the anniversary celebration of Malayalam Kuwait, a literary forum of Malayali writers in Kuwait. The event will be held today and tomorrow. Cultural conference, book release, drama and workshop will be held as part of the anniversar y. Zacharia will address the literary conference today evening at the Central School auditorium, Abbassiya.

‘Oru Pravasiyude Ithihasam’, a novel unraveling the half-a-century-long history of Kuwait, written by John Mathew, will be released on the occasion. Malayalam writer Kaipattoor Thankachan will be honored during the event.

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Student-run Cultural Club launches at GUST

he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) students launched a new student club called the Cultural Club. The Cultural Club mission is to support the intellectual, social and cultural development of our community. The Cultural Club also hopes to educate, promote and expose GUST students to the multi-cultural disciplines of art, history and education topics in general. For their launch, they invited young Kuwaiti writer Yousef Ramadhan to talk about his hit book, as well as Marina FM radio show host and GUST Alum, Ali Najim,

to talk about his success in his field.

The two guests talked about their journeys in writing and radio show presenting in Kuwait, touching on the different lessons and life stories and experience you gain along the way, both good and bad. They discussed the mentality differences between men and women and how those differences shape the society we are in. At one part of their lecture, the gentlemen talked to the audience about how their careers had changed them and their lives completely, whether by being a writer with a hit book or one of the youngest, most liked

radio show hosts. They also talked about how they affected each other’s lives, especially when writing their new book to be released later this year.

The event was a successful launch for the Cultural Club, who hopes to introduce the GUST student community to more inspiring youth and leaders in Kuwait through their events and lectures. GUST prides itself in allowing its students to excel and express themselves both academically as well as socially and intellectually and wishes the Cultural Club the best of luck in their future events.

Announcement

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Goan Culinary Club

he Goan Culinary Club - Goa encourages you to log on to their website where you can find a video of Odette and Joe Mascarenhas sharing their thoughts on Goan cuisine. These videos were recorded at the launch of the Goan Culinary Club in Goa on March 3, 2012. Thanks to support from all at the Goan Culinary Club, we have made great progress in six months.

Basketball Academy he new Premier Basketball Academy offers coaching and games every Friday and Saturday from 10 am onwards for 6 to 18 year olds, boys and girls. Located in Bayan Block 7, Masjed Al-Aqsa Street by Abdullah Al-Rujaib High School. Free Basketball and Tee Shirts for all participants, with certificates and special awards on completion of each 6 week course. Qualified and experienced British and American Coaches, Everyone Welcome.

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Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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IIS celebrate National & Liberation Day

o mark the glorious “National and Liberation Day” celebration of Kuwait, India International School organized special assemblies for the same from 19th February to 21st February, 2013. The whole school reverberated with the spirit of Nationalistic fervor.

The kindergarten section proudly exhibited immense dedication for the country, Kuwait. Clad in Kuwait flag dress, embellished with appealing accessories, the tiny tots made a graceful entry for the assemble along with Shifana Muizz,KG(HOS) and her ever vibrant team of teachers. The corridors galore with excitement, decoration, music and flag-waving to express the patriotic fervor for the country, ‘Kuwait’. Following this, theme based activities were conducted to enrich the budding minds.

The primary section celebrated with magnificent pomp and splendor. The assembly commenced with a beautiful recitation from the Holy Quran. Following this was the Kuwait National Anthem & the school song which everyone sang with gusto, pride and joy.

Students of class I and II exhibited their skills and actively participated with zeal and enthusiasm under the auspices of Sophy

John,the coordinator and her team of inspiring teachers.Zehra Ali of class II spoke impressively with confidence on the importance of the occasion. Charged with the spirit of Nationalism, students demonstrated their innate talents majestically leaving the audience awe struck.

Students of classes III - V under the supervision of Sapna Raoof ,the coordinator and her commited team of teachers, adorning dresses in Kuwait’s National Flag colours joyfully waved their Kuwait flags in unison.

Sandeep and Malavika gave an inspiring speech pertaining to the occasion. Juniors made everyone sway and sing to the tunes of the Arabic song with ardor and fervency.

Following this, was a dance performed gracefully in traditional costumes to the tunes of Arabic song ‘Watanil Habibi.....’

Seniors too organized assembly in an impeccable manner under the guidance of Indulekha ,the coordinator. The spirit was equally evident among them. Exquisite caps, accessories, festoons bearing the colours of

Kuwait flag were worn by the students to exhibit their love and respect towards the country and his Amir (His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah). Aromal of class VI spoke eloquently on the significance and importance of Kuwait’s National & Liberation Day. The highlight of the programme was an Arabic song ‘YA BA BA.....’ which was sung by all the nationalities including Indians’, Bangladeshis’, Pakistanis’, Egyptians’, Srilankans’etc .,with musical cadence and dedication.Enveloped in colourful flag attires, the students of class VI compelled the audience to tap their feet and sway to the rhythmic beat of the song.

Principal,F.M Basheer Ahmed addressed the gathering and wished everyone a happy National and Liberation Day and gave a piece of advice to everyone to respect and honour the country they live in and expressed his gratitude towards the country Kuwait for residing in it peacefully. Further he congratulated the teachers for their commendable contribution, which was displayed by the students in various events.Vice Principal,Narender Kaur too proposed good wishes to everyone on the noble occasion and inspired everyone to celebrate with immense dedication and spirit.

W H AT ’ S O N

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday.

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Spin and Win at Lu&Lu L

u&Lu Hypermarket, the leader in lifestyle shopping destination, is continuing its month-long participation in the Kuwait’s annual Hala February Festival, with a unique Spin & Win promotion during the last week of the festival.

In a never-before promotion, a large spin-wheel marked with numbers of all the cash counters in the store will be spun every 15 minutes from 9am to 12 midnight, on every day from 21st February to 27th February. The person checking in at the lucky counter number selected by the spinning wheel will win

fabulous gifts, including shopping vouchers from Lu&Lu. Meanwhile, other amazing offers on selected products continue unabated during the remaining days of the popular Hala Festival period, including ‘Product of the Day’, when one or more products will be offered at unbelievable prices and ‘Brand of the Week’, during which a specific brand will hold extraordinary offers on their products along with in-store brand promotion activities.

Other activities planned for the final week of the promotion includes a ‘Toys Festival’ and special Discount Coupons,

where customers can cut-out and present discount coupons that are printed on advertisement leaflets, to avail of immediate price-reductions on selected products. During the ‘Toys Festival’ in addition to special promotions on toys, several activities are planned specifically for children. These include drawing competition, helicopter race, coloring competition, yoyo competition and photo session with famous cartoon characters like Dora, Sponge Bob and others. Customer can contact customer service for participating in these competitions.

The ongoing festival, which is being

held at the Hypermarket’s Al Rai and Al Qurain outlets, is an initiative held under the label of ‘Enjoy Hala February with Lu&Lu’. The festival is yet another indication of the Hypermarket’s commitment to always be an integral part of the community in Kuwait, and to join in celebrating the country’s special occasions and events. Since its inception Lu&Lu Hypermarkets have grown to become the shopping destination of choice for discerning customers in the country, offering an ultra-modern shopping ambience integrating every conceivable need of consumers under one roof.

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on short-stay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com.

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EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com.

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Funfair of Pakistan School and College

E

xtracurricular activities play an important role in flourishing the mental abilities of students. In order to up-bring the potential qualities of our growing generation, Pakistan School and College Salmiya, arranged a funfair in the school’s premises. The program was specified only for the female students and their female relatives. Boys, aged above ten years were not allowed to enter the event. Director of the institution “Mr. Shakir Muhammad” and the Principal “Mrs. Zarina Ghulam Muhammad Khan” supervised the preparations and gave fruitful instructions. The participants, who started arriving early in the morning, fully enjoyed the food stalls. In addition to this, “Mehendi” and “Bangals” stalls

arranged by Mrs. Sakina Badar, “Qorma” & “Biryani” stalls of Mrs. Naheed Abdul Quddoos & Mrs. Uzma were the centre of attraction. All of their food finished quickly, everyone praised these dishes. The colorful dresses of the participants represented the Pakistani culture. It looked like “Anarkali” bazaar of Lahore. The children also enjoyed the games, rides and puzzles. The magic show was also an important event of the funfair. The magic show received great applause from the audience. The magician presented some memorable feats. There was a special stall of religious book, the participants took special interest in the Islamic Literature and asked relevant questions. Mrs. Lubna remained busy on the Islamic stall.

A quiz competition was organized & conducted by Miss Majida Ghulam Rabbani. Valuable prizes were distributed among the audience. Gifts were also given through lucky draws. These prizes were sponsored by prominent community members like; Sarwar Hussain Butt, Mian Muhammad Arshad & Sam Nawaz. Senior teachers Mrs. Kausar, Mrs. Filza & Miss Adeela conducted D.J. in an organized way, a lot of rush was seen on this stall. Vice Principal Mr. Tahir Hussain, Principal Mrs.Zarina Ghulam Muhammad Khan and Director Mr. Shakir Muhammad thanked all the participants and praised all the staff members whose strenuous efforts made the program successful and memorable.

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk.

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EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru is located in Sharq, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Al Arabiya Tower, 6th Floor. Working days / hours: SundayThursday /9 am - 4 pm. Residents in Kuwait interested in getting a visa to travel to Peru and companies attracted to invest in Peru are invited to visit the permanent exposition room located in the Embassy. For more information, please contact: (+965) 22267250/1.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:50 Animal Cops Phoenix 01:45 Your Worst Animal Nightmares 02:35 Untamed & Uncut 03:25 Wildest Latin America 04:15 Sharkman 05:05 Uakari ‚Äì Secrets Of The English Monkey 05:55 Call Of The Wildman 06:20 Animal Battlegrounds 06:45 Wildlife SOS 07:35 Wildlife SOS 08:00 The Really Wild Show 08:25 Breed All About It 08:50 Breed All About It 09:15 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 10:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 11:05 Wildest Latin America 12:00 Animal Cops Philadelphia 12:55 Call Of The Wildman 13:20 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Gator Boys 14:45 Animal Precinct 15:40 Wildest Latin America 16:35 Animal Battlegrounds 17:00 The Really Wild Show 17:30 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 18:25 Rescue Vet 18:50 Rescue Vet 19:20 Extraordinary Dogs 19:45 Extraordinary Dogs 20:15 Monkey Life 20:40 Bondi Vet 21:10 Call Of The Wildman 21:35 Animal Battlegrounds 22:05 Wildest Islands 23:00 Austin Stevens Adventures 23:55 Max’s Big Tracks

00:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 00:45 Come Dine With Me 01:35 Antiques Roadshow 02:25 House Swap 03:10 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 03:35 House Swap 04:20 Come Dine With Me 05:15 Antiques Roadshow 06:10 House Swap 06:55 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 07:20 Antiques Roadshow 08:10 Saturday Kitchen 2008/09 08:40 Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes 09:30 10 Years Younger 10:20 Bargain Hunt 11:05 Antiques Roadshow 11:55 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 12:35 Come Dine With Me 13:25 Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes 14:15 Vacation Vacation Vacation 14:40 Vacation Vacation Vacation 15:05 Bargain Hunt 15:50 Antiques Roadshow 16:40 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Specials 17:20 Come Dine With Me 18:10 Britain’s Dream Homes 19:00 Eating In The Sun 19:30 Eating In The Sun 19:55 Rhodes Across Italy 20:40 Come Dine With Me 21:30 Fantasy Homes Down Under 22:20 Antiques Roadshow 23:15 Bargain Hunt

00:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 00:30 Hardtalk 01:00 BBC World News America 01:30 BBC World News America 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report

04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 BBC World News 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 BBC World News 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 BBC World News 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:30 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 Hardtalk 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 BBC World News 19:00 BBC World News 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:30 World Business Report 23:45 Sport Today

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:00 04:30 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:30 07:55 08:10 08:35 08:50 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:20 14:35 14:50 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00

Taz-Mania Pink Panther And Pals Moomins Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Puppy In My Pocket Wacky Races Looney Tunes Duck Dodgers Dastardly And Muttley Dexter’s Laboratory Wacky Races Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Moomins Looney Tunes Tom & Jerry Tales Dexter’s Laboratory Baby Looney Tunes Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Ha Ha Hairies Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Puppy In My Pocket Wacky Races Looney Tunes Duck Dodgers Popeye Top Cat The Flintstones Dastardly And Muttley Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas Moomins Dexter’s Laboratory Johnny Bravo Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo?

17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:05 19:30 19:45 20:00 20:15 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show Taz-Mania Moomins Pink Panther & Pals The Garfield Show Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Baby Looney Tunes Cartoonito Tales Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show What’s New Scooby-Doo? Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Tales The Looney Tunes Show

00:40 Chowder 01:30 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 01:55 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 02:20 Foster’s Home For...

02:45 Foster’s Home For...

03:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 04:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 04:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Powerpuff Girls 05:40 Generator Rex 06:05 Ben 10 06:30 Ben 10 06:55 Angelo Rules 07:00 Casper’s Scare School 07:30 Casper’s Scare School 08:00 Mucha Lucha 08:25 Johnny Test 08:45 Regular Show 09:05 Total Drama Action 09:30 Total Drama Action 09:55 Ben 10: Omniverse 10:20 Young Justice 10:45 Thundercats 11:10 Adventure Time 12:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 12:50 Foster’s Home For...

13:15 Foster’s Home For...

13:40 Courage The Cowardly Dog 14:30 Powerpuff Girls 15:20 Angelo Rules 16:10 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 16:35 Young Justice 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:20 Johnny Test 18:00 Level Up 18:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 18:50 Adventure Time 19:15 Regular Show 19:40 Mucha Lucha 20:05 Total Drama Action 20:30 Total Drama Action 20:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 21:20 Young Justice 21:45 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 22:10 Grim Adventures Of...

23:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:50 The Powerpuff Girls

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Amanpour 01:30 World Sport 02:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 03:00 World Report 03:30 World Sport 04:00 Anderson Cooper 360 05:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 06:00 Quest Means Business 07:00 The Situation Room 08:00 World Sport 08:30 Talk Asia 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Report 11:00 World Sport 11:30 Sanjay Gupta MD 12:00 World Business Today 13:00 Amanpour 13:30 Winning Post 13:45 The Gateway 14:00 World One

THE KINGDOM ON OSN ACTION HD

15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:45 20:00 20:30 20:45 21:00 22:00 22:45 23:00 23:30

Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk Global Exchange CNN Marketplace Middle East World Sport Winning Post The Gateway International Desk Quest Means Business CNN Marketplace Europe Amanpour CNN Newscenter

00:15 00:40 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 11:50 12:20 12:45 13:40 14:35 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Magic Of Science Time Warp Mythbusters Mythbusters Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings How Stuff Works How It’s Made Sons Of Guns Mythbusters Deadliest Catch You Have Been Warned Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings How Stuff Works How It’s Made Magic Of Science Time Warp Mythbusters Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Auction Kings Desert Car Kings You Have Been Warned Mythbusters Sons Of Guns How Stuff Works How It’s Made Auction Kings Auction Kings Sons Of Guns Ross Kemp On Gangs Outlaw Empires

00:10 Hannah Montana 00:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:00 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 01:25 Replacements 01:50 Replacements 02:15 Emperor’s New School 02:40 Emperor’s New School 03:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 03:30 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 03:55 Replacements 04:20 Replacements 04:45 Emperor’s New School 05:10 Emperor’s New School 05:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 06:00 Phineas And Ferb 06:15 Suite Life On Deck 06:40 My Babysitter’s A Vampire 07:05 A.N.T. Farm 07:30 Phineas And Ferb 07:55 Jessie 08:20 Good Luck Charlie 08:45 Doc McStuffins 09:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:35 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 09:45 Mouk 10:00 Jonas Los Angeles 10:25 So Random 10:50 Hannah Montana Forever 11:15 Sonny With A Chance 11:40 Kim Possible 12:05 Shake It Up 12:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:55 Phineas And Ferb 13:05 Phineas And Ferb 13:20 Austin And Ally 13:45 Art Attack 14:10 A.N.T Farm 14:35 Phineas And Ferb 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:10 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Shake It Up 15:50 Austin And Ally 16:15 Jessie 16:40 A.N.T Farm 17:00 Good Luck Charlie 17:30 Gravity Falls 17:55 Suite Life On Deck 18:20 Austin And Ally 18:45 Phineas And Ferb 18:55 Phineas And Ferb 19:10 A.N.T. Farm 19:35 Good Luck Charlie 20:00 Jessie 20:30 That’s So Raven 20:50 Cory In The House 21:15 Kim Possible 21:40 Hannah Montana 22:05 Phineas And Ferb 22:30 Phineas And Ferb 22:40 Phineas And Ferb 22:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:45 Hannah Montana

00:20 Little Einsteins 00:50 Special Agent Oso 01:05 Special Agent Oso 01:15 Lazytown 01:40 Jungle Junction 01:55 Jungle Junction 02:10 Handy Manny 02:20 Handy Manny 02:30 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:55 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 03:00 Lazytown 03:25 Special Agent Oso 03:35 Special Agent Oso 03:50 Imagination Movers 04:15 Handy Manny 04:25 Handy Manny 04:40 Special Agent Oso 04:50 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Timmy Time 05:10 Lazytown 05:35 Little Einsteins 06:00 Jungle Junction 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Little Einsteins 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 Jungle Junction 07:45 Handy Manny 08:00 Special Agent Oso 08:15 Imagination Movers 08:45 Handy Manny

09:00 The Hive 09:10 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 09:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 10:05 Doc McStuffins 10:20 Doc McStuffins 10:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 11:00 Mouk 11:15 Animated Stories 11:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 11:45 Art Attack 12:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 12:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 13:10 Doc McStuffins 13:25 Handy Manny 13:40 Jungle Junction 13:55 Timmy Time 14:05 The Hive 14:15 Mouk 14:30 Little Einsteins 14:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 15:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:00 The Little Mermaid 16:25 Art Attack 16:55 Imagination Movers 17:20 Handy Manny 17:35 The Hive 17:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:10 Doc McStuffins 18:25 Doc McStuffins 18:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:10 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:00 Animated Stories 20:05 Timmy Time 20:15 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 20:25 Doc McStuffins 20:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:55 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 The Hive 21:20 Timmy Time 21:30 Mouk 21:45 Handy Manny 22:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 The Hive 22:35 New Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 23:00 Timmy Time 23:10 Animated Stories 23:15 A Poem Is...

23:20 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of Friendship 23:30 Jungle Junction 23:45 Handy Manny 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

00:15 Have Cake, Will Travel 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:30 Heat Seekers 01:55 Charly’s Cake Angels 02:45 Unique Sweets 03:35 Have Cake, Will Travel 04:20 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:50 United Tastes Of America 05:15 Unique Eats 05:40 Chopped 06:30 Iron Chef America 07:10 Unwrapped 08:00 Iron Chef America 08:50 Kid In A Candy Store 09:15 Unwrapped 09:40 United Tastes Of America 10:05 Barefoot Contessa 10:55 Cooking For Real 11:20 Hungry Girl 11:45 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 12:10 United Tastes Of America 12:35 Unwrapped 13:00 Iron Chef America 13:50 Tyler’s Ultimate 14:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 14:40 Everyday Italian 15:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:30 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:55 Hungry Girl 16:20 United Tastes Of America 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Barefoot Contessa 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 19:40 Tyler’s Ultimate 20:05 Guy’s Big Bite 20:30 Chopped 21:20 Iron Chef America 22:10 Unwrapped 22:35 Unwrapped 23:00 Crave 23:25 Crave 23:50 Unique Eats

00:00 00:55 01:25 02:20 03:15 03:40 04:10 05:05 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 09:45 10:15 12:05 13:05 14:05 York 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:30 23:30

Opening Act Style Star THS THS Behind The Scenes Extreme Close-Up E!es THS THS Behind The Scenes E! News Ice Loves Coco Ice Loves Coco THS E! News Opening Act Kourtney & Kim Take New Style Star THS Behind The Scenes A-List Listings A-List Listings E! News E!es Giuliana & Bill Married To Jonas Fashion Police E! News Chelsea Lately

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:05 03:55

Disappeared Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted American Greed I Almost Got Away With It

CEREMONY ON OSN CINEMA 04:45 05:30 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:05 10:30 Jones 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 Jones 16:20 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:05 Jones 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Disappeared Dr G: Medical Examiner The Haunted Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Murder Shift Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Forensic Detectives True Crime With Aphrodite Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Murder Shift Disappeared Forensic Detectives Street Patrol True Crime With Aphrodite Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Kidnap And Rescue I Faked My Own Death

00:15 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 00:45 Amish: Out of Order 01:40 Meet The Natives: USA 02:35 Bondi Rescue 04:25 Ultimate Traveller 05:20 Nomads 06:15 Food School 06:40 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:10 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 08:05 Amish: Out of Order 09:00 Meet The Natives: USA 09:55 Bondi Rescue 11:45 Ultimate Traveller 12:40 A World Apart 13:35 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Reverse Exploration 15:25 Amish: Out of Order 16:20 Meet The Natives: USA 17:15 Bondi Rescue 19:05 Ultimate Traveller 20:00 Reverse Exploration 21:00 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 2 21:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 22:00 Nomads 22:55 Food School 23:20 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 23:50 Street Food Around The World

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 15:45 18:00 20:00 22:00

Kalifornia-18 The Kingdom-18 Enter The Phoenix-PG15 Warbirds-PG15 Aeon Flux-PG15 Reign Of Fire-PG15 Metro-PG15 Aeon Flux-PG15 Mission: Impossible II-PG15 Metro-PG15 AVP: Alien vs Predator-PG15 The Ward-18

01:00 Teen Spirit-PG15 03:00 The Tourist-PG15 05:00 Lord Of The Dance-PG 07:00 Black Forest-PG15 09:00 Teen Spirit-PG15 11:00 The Tourist-PG15 13:00 The Hole-PG15 15:00 Little Big Soldier-PG15 17:00 A Dog Named Duke-PG15 19:00 Ceremony-PG15 21:00 How I Spent My Summer Vacation-PG15 23:00 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo-R

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon

Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:00 The Big C 02:30 Bored To Death 03:00 Two And A Half Men 03:30 Two And A Half Men 04:00 Hope & Faith 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Gary Unmarried 06:00 Samantha Who? 06:30 Seinfeld 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Hope & Faith 08:30 New Girl 09:00 Gary Unmarried 09:30 Samantha Who? 10:00 Melissa & Joey 10:30 The Office 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Seinfeld 12:30 Hope & Faith 13:00 Gary Unmarried 13:30 Samantha Who? 14:00 The Simpsons 14:30 The Office 15:00 Melissa & Joey 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Seinfeld 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 New Girl 18:30 30 Rock 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 The Office 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Community 22:30 The Big C 23:00 Weeds 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 03:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 12:00 12:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00

Grimm Hawthorne Six Feet Under Emmerdale Coronation Street Criminal Minds Emmerdale Coronation Street Parenthood Emmerdale Coronation Street Criminal Minds Touch Top Gear Specials Bunheads Six Feet Under

00:00 02:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Neil Delamere-PG15 Submarine-PG15 Baby Geniuses-PG Robots-PG Last Holiday-PG15 Cheaper By The Dozen-PG Last Holiday-PG15 The Search For Santa Paws-PG The Trip-PG15 Mardi Gras: Spring Break-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 PG15 11:00 13:00 15:00 PG15 17:00 18:45 21:00 23:15

Somewhere-18 Trust-PG15 Le Divorce-PG15 Ice Dreams-PG Sunny And The Elephant-

01:00 02:45 05:00 06:45

Loosies-PG15 The Terminal-PG15 Quest For Zhu-PG Backwash-PG15

Lorenzo’s Oil-PG15 The Nanny Express-PG15 Sunny And The ElephantRelative Stranger-PG15 Gandhi-PG Walk The Line-PG15 Ironclad-18

09:00 Rango-FAM 11:00 Les Miserables 25th Anniversary-PG15 14:00 The Bad News Bears (2005)-PG 16:00 Tim Richmond: To The LimitPG15 17:00 Rango-FAM 19:00 Tower Heist-PG15 21:00 Safe House-PG15 23:00 Cedar Rapids-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Blind Revenge-18 Treasure Buddies-PG A Guy Thing-PG15 The Borrowers-PG The Adventures Of Tintin-PG For Richer Or Poorer-PG Another Earth-PG15 Paws-PG The Adventures Of Tintin-PG 127 Hours-PG15 Personal Effects-18 The American-18

00:30 PDC World Darts Championship 03:30 Trans World Sports 04:30 Top 14 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 Cricket Twenty20 10:00 Inside The PGA Tour 10:30 Trans World Sports 11:30 Live Cricket Twenty20 14:30 ICC Cricket 360 15:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 16:30 Futbol Mundial 17:00 Trans World Sport 18:00 ICC Cricket 360 18:30 Cricket Twenty20 21:30 Futbol Mundial 22:00 PDC World Darts Championship

00:30 03:30 04:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 10:30 11:30 13:00 15:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00

Cricket T20 Inside the PGA Extreme Sailing Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Top 14 PGA European Tour Weekly Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Top 14 Cricket T20 Inside the PGA NFL Gameday WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:30 22:30 23:00

World Cup of Pool Golfing World Trans World Sport Mosconi Cup Pool Golfing World Spirit of Golf Top 14 Highlights World Pool Masters World Cup of Pool Pro 12 Golfing World Top 14 Highlights Asian Tour Golf Show World Pool Masters World Cup of Pool Pro 12 Spirit of Golf Top 14 Highlights Futbol Mundial Trans World Sport Golfing World Asian Tour Golf Show World Pool Masters

00:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter The Smashes 01:00 V8 Supercars Highlights 03:00 UFC Unleashed 05:00 NHL 07:00 WWE SmackDown 09:00 V8 Supercars Highlights 11:00 NHL 13:00 WWE Vintage Collection 14:00 WWE Bottom Line 15:00 Prizefighter 18:00 WWE NXT 19:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter The Smashes 20:00 UFC 23:00 WWE NXT

Classifieds SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

Kuwait SHARQIA-1 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

SHARQIA-2 THE SNOW QUEEN (DIG-3D) SNITCH (DIG) THE SHOCK LABYRINTH (DIG-3D) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

SHARQIA-3 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) MAMA (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) MAMA (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) NO TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-1 BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) NO TUE+WED

12:45 PM 3:15 PM 5:30 PM 4:00 PM 7:45 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM

MUHALAB-2 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) MAMA (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) MAMA (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) NO TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MUHALAB-3 SNITCH (DIG) THE SNOW QUEEN (DIG-3D) THE SNOW QUEEN (DIG-3D) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:00 PM 1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

FANAR-1 SNITCH (DIG) GAMBIT (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

FANAR-2 MAMA (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) MAMA (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) MAMA (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) MAMA (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:00 PM 5:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:00 PM 11:00 PM 1:00 AM

FANAR-3 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG)

12:45 PM 2:45 PM

KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (21/02/2013 TO 27/02/2013)

FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) ZILA GHAZIABAD (DIG) (HINDI) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG)

4:45 PM 6:45 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) BROKEN CITY (DIG)

5:30 PM 7:30 PM 9:30 PM 11:30 PM

MARINA-1 6 BULLETS (DIG) MAMA (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) MAMA (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.1 THE SHOCK LABYRINTH (DIG-3D) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) MAMA (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) MAMA (DIG) THE SHOCK LABYRINTH (DIG-3D) NO TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

MARINA-2 A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) GAMBIT (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) NO TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

AL-KOUT.2 6 BULLETS (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

MARINA-3 THE SNOW QUEEN (DIG-3D) SNITCH (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:30 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AL-KOUT.3 SNITCH (DIG) GAMBIT (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

AVENUES-1 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) SAVE YOUR LEGS! (DIG) BULLET TO THE HEAD (DIG) NO TUE+WED

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-1 THE SNOW QUEEN (DIG-3D) THE SNOW QUEEN (DIG-3D) 6 BULLETS (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 6 BULLETS (DIG) NO TUE+WED

12:45 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 7:00 PM 9:15 PM 11:30 PM

BAIRAQ-2 SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-2 MAMA (DIG) GAMBIT (DIG) MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) MAMA (DIG) NO TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM 1:15 AM

AVENUES-3 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) NO TUE+WED

2:15 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:45 PM 12:15 AM

360 ยบ- 1 SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG) NO TUE+WED

1:45 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

360 ยบ- 2 BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (DIG) NO TUE+WED

2:30 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:30 AM

360 ยบ- 3 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG)

1:30 PM 3:30 PM

PLAZA FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) FRI+SAT+SUN+MON 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) THU+TUE+WED JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) FRI+SAT+SUN+MON 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) THU+TUE+WED

4:15 PM 6:15 PM 6:45 PM 9:30 PM 9:45 PM

LAILA SNITCH (DIG) 3ALA GOSETY (DIG) A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (DIG) SNITCH (DIG)

4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM

AJIAL.1 MIRCHI (DIG) (TELUGU) MIRCHI (DIG) (TELUGU) MIRCHI (DIG) (TELUGU) JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU) JABARDASTH (DIG) (TELUGU)

3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

AJIAL.2 FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (DIG) HARIDAS (DIG) (TAMIL) HARIDAS (DIG) (TAMIL)

3:30 PM 5:15 PM 7:15 PM 10:15 PM

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in a 2 bedroom, 2 toilets, CA/C, new building in Farwaniya for Indians only for Mumbai, Goa or Delhi from 25th of Feb. 2013 for single lady/executive bachelors. Contact: 66625901. (C 4327) 23-2-2013 Sharing accommodation available for bachelors or families in Farwaniya with an Indian family. Please contact: 50540846, 97337658.

(C 4324) 20-2-2013 LOST Jordanian Passport lost in Jabriya under name of Heba Mohd. Hassan,

Passpor t No. 310007.

Contact: 90035120.

21-2-2013

girls. Email: proposal1984@ymail.com (C 4326) 23-2-2013

MATRIMONIAL

Financially sound Ex. NRI Orthodox parents invites proposal for their daughter 29/152, ME+MBA, from parents of God fearing professionals with good family backgrounds.

Email: gracegeevar@gmail.com (C 4325) 20-2-2013

Alliance invited for a Marthomite boy, age 29 years/182cms graduate born and bought up in Kuwait, currently working in Kuwait for American Drilling Company as a Logistic Controller. Invites proposal from God fearing well educated/employed

Prayer timings Fajr: Shorook Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

05:00 06:19 12:01 15:17 17:44 19:01

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JAI THY JZR JZR QTR RJA ETH GFA UAE ETD JZR FDB MSR QTR KAC CLX DHX THY JZR BAW FDB KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR FDB ETD GFA IRA IRC JZR MEA MSR UAE SYR KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KNE SVA QTR FDB

Arrival Flights on Sunday 24/2/2013 Flt Route 574 MUMBAI 772 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 148 DOHA 642 AMMAN 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 1781 JEDDAH 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 544 CAIRO 792 LUXEMBOURG 170 BAHRAIN 770 ISTANBUL 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 8055 DUBAI 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 855 DUBAI 121 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 603 SHIRAZ 6666 AHWAZ 165 DUBAI 404 BEIRUT 610 CAIRO 871 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 742 DAMMAM 284 DHAKA 774 RIYADH 57 DUBAI 672 DUBAI 472 JEDDAH 500 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 8055 DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:10 1:45 1:50 2:35 2:45 2:50 3:05 3:10 3:45 4:20 4:55 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:40 6:45 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:45 7:55 8:15 8:25 8:40 9:05 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:55 10:40 11:10 11:20 11:55 12:45 12:50 12:50 12:55 12:55 13:30 13:50 14:10 14:15 14:30 14:35 14:50

JZR JZR QTR JZR UAE JZR FDB ETD RJA GFA SVA JZR QTR ABY UAL KAC JZR RBG KAC FDB AFG KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC OMA FDB JAI AXB MSR JZR ABY ALK QTR MEA QTR GFA ETD UAE KAC JZR KAC DHX FDB KLM AIC JZR GFA JZR UAL DLH

561 257 134 787 857 1783 8063 303 640 215 510 777 144 127 982 542 177 3553 786 63 415 166 618 102 674 562 647 61 572 393 606 175 129 229 146 402 136 221 307 859 172 135 514 372 59 417 981 239 217 185 981 636

SOHAG BEIRUT DOHA RIYADH DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA SHARJAH WASHINGTON DC DULLES CAIRO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH DUBAI KABUL PARIS DOHA NEW YORK DUBAI AMMAN MUSCAT DUBAI MUMBAI KOZHIKODE LUXOR DUBAI SHARJAH COLOMBO DOHA BEIRUT DOHA BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN TEHRAN BAHRAIN DUBAI AMSTERDAM CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT

14:50 15:05 15:30 16:10 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:45 17:50 17:55 17:55 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:35 19:35 19:55 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:30 20:35 20:55 21:00 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:50 22:00 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:30 22:45 22:50 23:05 23:25 23:55

Airlines AIC KAC AXB DHX BBC JAI UAL DLH ETH THY FDB UAE ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR GFA RJA FDB THY JZR CLX FDB BAW JZR KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB KAC KAC ETD QTR GFA JZR KAC IRA IRC JZR KAC JZR MEA KAC MSR SYR JZR UAE

Departure Flights on Sunday 24/2/2013 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 283 DHAKA 390 MANGALORE 371 BAHRAIN 44 CHITTAGONG 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 8056 DUBAI 771 ISTANBUL 560 SOHAG 792 GIALAM 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 256 BEIRUT 171 FRANKFURT 671 DUBAI 122 SHARJAH 741 DAMMAM 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 117 NEW YORK 773 RIYADH 302 ABU DHABI 133 DOHA 214 BAHRAIN 1782 JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 602 SHIRAZ 6667 AHWAZ 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 786 RIYADH 405 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 611 CAIRO 342 LATAKIA 176 DUBAI 872 DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:10 0:15 0:40 1:00 1:05 1:10 1:20 2:45 2:55 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:10 4:50 6:05 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:30 7:35 8:15 8:15 8:25 8:45 9:05 9:10 9:35 9:45 9:55 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:10 10:40 11:15 11:30 11:40 12:10 12:15 12:20 12:55 12:55 13:00 13:45 13:50 13:50 14:15

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

FDB KAC KAC KNE FDB KAC SVA JZR QTR JZR FDB ETD KAC JZR QTR UAE RJA GFA JZR SVA ABY JZR QTR RBG JZR UAL FDB AFG FDB OMA JAI AXB ABY MSR DHX ALK MEA ETD QTR GFA KAC FDB UAE KAC KAC DHX KLM QTR KAC JZR GFA KAC KAC

58 561 673 473 8058 617 503 174 141 238 8064 304 513 538 135 858 641 216 184 511 128 266 145 3554 134 982 64 415 62 648 571 394 120 619 171 230 403 308 137 222 301 60 860 351 205 373 417 147 343 502 218 411 415

DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI DOHA MADINAH DUBAI DOHA AMMAN DUBAI ABU DHABI IMAM KHOMEINI CAIRO DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH SHARJAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI KOZHIKODE SHARJAH ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN COLOMBO BEIRUT ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN MUMBAI DUBAI DUBAI KOCHI ISLAMABAD BAHRAIN DAMMAM DOHA CHENNAI LUXOR BAHRAIN BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR

14:30 14:30 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:45 15:45 16:05 16:15 17:15 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 17:50 17:55 18:15 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:25 20:00 20:40 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:25 21:50 21:55 22:20 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:15 23:35 23:50 23:55 23:55

34

stars CROSSWORD 110

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Verbal battles, disputes, and heated debates are very likely at this time.

Right now you will say the things you usually only think, especially to people you disagree with. Also, you are quite impatient and easily frustrated, and are inclined to move about too quickly and abruptly, which can cause accidents. Unless you slow your pace down a bit, this time period can be quite a headache. Sometimes it’s hard to say what you feel, then suddenly it comes blurting out all at once. That’s the challenge right now, to try to even out that the anxiety and say as much as you mean to without giving away what you don’t. When asked to comment, do so in carefully and with thought so you neither disappoint nor overwhelm.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your competitive urges will expand and your working life now appears to be set for some radical changes over the next month or two. There’s a certain impatience surrounding your activities professionally and if your current circumstances don’t offer you enough excitement or variety you’re quite likely to look elsewhere to fulfill these needs. Being more closely involved with another person could become your highest priority now. Marriage, contracts, and partnerships are seen as the cornerstone to success and happiness for you. Now’s as good a time to start manifesting if you aren’t involved with someone else yet.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. Blood cells that engulf and digest bacteria and fungi.

4. An orchid of the genus Liparis having few leaves and usually fairly small yellow-green or dull purple flowers in terminal racemes.

11. (boxing) A blow with the fist.

15. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

16. Reprehensible acquisitiveness.

17. Chief port of Yemen.

18. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

19. Tall perennial herb of tropical Asia with dark green leaves.

20. Anything that provides inspiration for later work.

21. Building material used as siding or roofing.

23. The compass point that is one point east (clockwise) of due north.

25. A Japanese cheer of enthusiasm or triumph.

29. Alternatively, a member of the family Nymphaeaceae.

31. A United Nations agency created to assist developing nations by loans guaranteed by member governments.

34. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

35. A public promotion of some product or service.

36. Any of several related languages of the Celts in Ireland and Scotland.

38. Interface consisting of a standard port between a computer and its peripherals that is used in some computers.

42. A small foothold used in climbing.

44. The longest division of geological time.

46. An ancient Assyrian city on the River Tigris and traditional capital of Assyria.

48. (Old Testament) The eldest son of Isaac who would have inherited the Covenant that God made with Abraham and that Abraham passed on to Isaac.

49. A state in east central United States.

51. (dialect) A short straight stick of wood.

52. The lower house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.

54. A farewell remark.

57. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain.

59. Large snake mackerel with rings like spectacles around its eyes.

60. An intersection or crossing of two tracts in the form of the letter X. 63. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

67. Tag the base runner to get him out.

68. Any of various long-legged carrion-eating hawks of South and Central America.

72. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

73. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

74. The bone in the ankle that articulates with the leg bones to form the ankle joint.

75. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

76. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

77. A great raja.

78. A light touch or stroke.

DOWN 1. A large number or amount.

2. Pompous or pretentious talk or writing.

3. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant

white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

4. Filled with a great quantity.

5. Being one more than three.

6. A river in northeastern Brazil that flows generally northward to the Atlantic Ocean.

7. A peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

8. Ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside).

9. Water frozen in the solid state.

10. The seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located adv.

11. Capital and largest city of Iraq.

12. Conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence.

13. Any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward.

14. A federally chartered corporation that purchases mortgages.

22. A river of southwestern Africa that rises in central Angola and flows east and then north (forming part of the border between Angola and Congo) and continuing northwest through Congo to empty into the Congo River on the border between Congo and Republic of the Congo.

24. Be in accord.

26. A bluish-white lustrous metallic element.

27. Having or revealing supreme mastery or skill.

28. Become imbued.

30. A device that, on receiving radar signals, transmits coded signals in response to help navigators determine their position.

32. A town in northern France on the Strait of Dover that serves as a ferry port to England.

33. One of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind.

37. A family of Amerindian languages spoken in Washington and British Columbia.

39. A silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion.

40. A South American shrub whose leaves are chewed by natives of the Andes.

41. A relation that provides the foundation for something.

43. Old World woody vines.

45. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.

47. Boxcar with latticed sides.

50. The content of cognition.

53. (Judaism) A period of seven days of mourning after the death of close relative.

55. A severe shortage (especially a shortage of food).

56. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

58. Green algae common in freshwater lakes of limestone districts.

61. A fraudulent business scheme.

62. An independent group of closely related Chadic languages spoken in the area between the Biu-Mandara and East Chadic languages.

64. (computer science) A data transmission rate (bits/second) for modems.

65. God of love and erotic desire.

66. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

69. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

70. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

71. British dominion over India (1757-1947).

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

There’ll be no messing around with a certain person in mind - ooh no - it’s straight down the line, black and white and then - right on to the nitty-gritty!

Sound a little too much? Maybe, but it’s probably what you need to get the ball rolling with a particular project, so just bite your lip for a while. Finding a preferred direction in your intimate relationships may prove difficult at the moment. You want, you want, you want; but you’re not all that sure what it is you want! Although this may be a frustrating time for you, things will become clearer soon. In the meantime, avoid venting your frustrations on those close to you or you may find yourself sitting in a corner moping alone.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You may have a hard time being clearheaded right now. Thoughts and ideas that come may be inappropriate or misleading. A lot of nervous energy. Arguments are possible with an authority figure or someone older than yourself. If your love life has been a little flat lately today is the day to do something about it. For those in a romantic relationship now is the perfect time to do something out of the ordinary. Possibly set up a romantic rendezvous in an unusual place. Creating a little mystery will make you very attractive to your mate at this time.

Those who are flying solo at the moment need to get out in the world and do some socializing.

Meeting someone you can start a fulfilling romance with is likely during this period.

Leo (July 23-August 22) If you have been working very hard and putting in extra hours towards attaining a goal payoff time is near. You can expect wonderful opportunities to really capitalize on. You’ll also begin to see some financial returns for the hard work you’ve done. Of course with your new success your popularity will rise as well. This time period is harmonious and pleasant. Relationships are particularly pleasant and productive now, and you may find partnerships formed now work out very well. This could be a good day to run into someone new that excites you and sends your heart into a bit of a palpitation.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your tastes may run more to distaste for the moment, where what you don’t like influences your goals as much as what you do like. In the avoidance of one flavor, however, don’t fling yourself into the arms of something even more undesirable. Better to fast than to swallow something ugly you’ll regret later. Resist the temptation to go overboard emotionally, to the point of burning yourself or someone else out. It’s easy to get carried away today so watch your step. Your initial assumption will require refinement, so don’t expect to understand everything that’s going on with your first attempt.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You should find many answers to your questions today, and probably from the strangest places and most unlikely of people. A near-obsession you have been focusing on recently may take a backseat to a new developing passion. The energy is good for bargain-hunting or anything to do with animals. Go easy on yourself today and remember if you won’t how will you allow others to be? Being serious about life, love, goals are all well and good, but have some fun today to. Take your lover or a potential lover out and enjoy some time together so you have some memories for those days that just feel it’s all too much to deal with.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) The thought for the day is now on long-range financial planning, thinking about future security, and formulating strategies to achieve your ambitions. This is a good time to organize your affairs and also to seek professional advice about your concerns, be it taxes, retirement or credit issues. If you are unhappy in your personal life, this is brought out now, and you’ll need to face what is causing your dissatisfaction. Differences in personal style, tastes, and ways of expressing affection may emerge. What occurs now makes you more aware of what you need, feel and want in your relationships.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You can’t hide your instinctive emotional reactions to people or situations today, and you don’t want to make any pretences about your personal sympathies or antipathies either. You may initially feel you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time and this may trigger some strong reactions as well. Think again. It could work out better than expected. Mistakes are often Life’s way of clearing the path towards positive results. Your spirits are high at this time, and you feel optimistic, self-confident, generous, and just outright happy. You greet life with a fresh attitude, and it is easy for your to forget the mistakes of the past and envision bright new adventures for growth and fulfillment.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Although you may take your talents for granted, it can be a joy to take inventory now and then so you know just what you are showing off.

Envision what you need and it will appear for you right on time. Have faith, and you will have had reason to. Today may be a bit challenging to your personal relationships.

Differences are likely to be difficult to resolve. Shared goals may appear nebulous, distant and somewhat unrealistic. You may find yourself unable to express your true feelings about anything. Try to keep things light during this period. Soon the path before you will become clearer and you will feel far more connected to those you love.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Family, home, and the other roots in your life give you a sense of mission now. There is growth and gain through these things. Generally this is a fruitful period for carefully researched investments, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Now is a good time for you to make first impressions. Your warmth will radiate under the right circumstances and allow people to see you for the genuine, caring person you are. Personal relationships should be especially fulfilling for you during this period because those close to will be easily charmed by your affection and poise.

Pampering yourself some is called for as well. Treat yourself to one of your favorite, more extravagant activities.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is a time for getting a little loose and wild with friends, going dancing, or doing something out of the ordinary that is stimulating and fun. You meet interesting new people and are more open to people who are quite different from yourself. You are optimistic, hopeful, and forward looking at this time. You can see connections and possibilities you may have overlooked before. Now is a time for communicating your enthusiasm, sharing your plans and dreams and also being more receptive to the thoughts and points of view of that special person in your life.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Hawally

ST TAT TE OF KUW K WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA AT TE GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PA ARTMENT

262 - 2630 Ext.: 2627

BY Y NIGHT:

Dusty with moderate to fresh south easterly changing to north westerly wind, with speed of 25 - 45 km/h

Fresh wind

WA ARNING MAX. EXP P.

MIN. REC.

KUW WA AIT CITY

28 °C

16 °C

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

29 °C

11 °C

NUW WA AISEEB

24 °C

10 °C

WA AFRA

30 °C

12 °C

SALMI

28 °C

13 °C

25746401

ABDAL LY

30 °C

10 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

28 °C

11 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FAILAKA A

27 °C

15 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

26 °C

18 °C

Mishref

25381200

QARUH ISLAND

24 °C

18 °C

W Hawally

22630786

UMM AL-MARADEM

24 °C

17 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

SFC. CHART

23/02/2013 0000 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures WEA AT THER

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

New Jahra

24575755

Sunday

24/02

dusty

27 °C

14 °C

NW

25 - 50 km/h

West Jahra

24772608

Monday

25/02

sunny + raising dust

24 °C

12 °C

NW

20 - 45 km/h

South Jahra

24775066

Tuesday

26/02

sunny + scattered clouds

25 °C

11 °C

NW

15 - 38 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

Weednesday

27/02

sunny

23 °C

10 °C

VRB

06 - 22 km/h

North Jleeb

24311795

Ardhiya

RA AY YER TIMES PRA

AY AT KUW WA AIT AIRPORT RECORDED YESTERDA

Fajr

05:01

MAX. Temp.

27 °C

24884079

Sunrise

06:20

MIN. Temp.

09 °C

Firdous

24892674

Zuhr

12:01

MAX. RH

87 %

Asr

15:17

MIN. RH

15 %

Omariya

24719048

Sunset

17:43

MAX. Wind i

N 25 km/h

N Khaitan

24710044

Isha

18:00

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

Fintas

00 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

23900322

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Salem soso

22618787 General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

Unstable with moderate to fresh south easterly wind, with speed of 25 - 50 km/h causing raising dust with a chance for rain that might be thundery at times

DA ATE T

Al-Shuhada

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

BY Y DA AY:

DA AY

22418714

Fax: 24348714

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours

ST TATION T

Al-Madeena

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

Endocrinologist Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062

Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Anne Hathaway wants to star in ‘My Fair Lady’

T

Danny DeVito is a ‘party animal’

T

he 68-year-old actor has revealed that he still likes to let loose despite his age, although he doesn’t party as hard as he did when he was younger. Speaking to BANG Showbiz during a media trip to London, he revealed: “I like to party, yeah. I’m a party animal!” However, Danny then conceded: “I’m not a party animal that’s not true. That’s saying too much.

But I like to do Qi Gong [a form of yoga], and I like to eat well, and I like to drink.” The ‘Twins’ actor’s idea of a good time today is a far cry from his younger days, however, as the star revealed that he and celebrity pals - including John Belusci, Robin Williams, Christopher Lloyd and Andy Kaufman - would throw drug-fuelled parties at his home when he made hit sitcom, ‘Taxi’, in the 1970s

and ‘80s. He said: “[We would] shoot the show from seven to about 10 and then go party like an animal. People used to come to our show - Belusci used to come, Penny Marshall, and all the people from the lot. “Robin Williams [came] once he started ‘Mork & Mindy’. They would all come and hang out in the booth and then we’d get mad crazy after the show. Sunday would roll around and you were just blitzed from Friday night. Sunday, you just had to recover. “I [would] invite everybody over the house for drinks and we’re all feeling good because the show’s doing well. Sitting on the couch, on one end is Chris Lloyd and the other is Andy [Kaufman]. Belusci’s there. Robin was there. People were talking. It’s crazy. It was wonderful.”

he actress is hoping to capitalise on her Oscar-nominated performance in ‘Les Miserables’ by landing the lead role of Eliza Doolittle in a stage version of the hit musical. She told the Daily Mail newspaper: “I haven’t heard for a while what’s happening with ‘My Fair Lady’ and I don’t know whether I would do it on stage, or screen, but either would be a treat.” The actress was reportedly being lined up to star in a film adaptation of the long-running show opposite Colin Firth, but the film rights fell through.

Legendary music mogul Clive Davis announced earlier this week that he will produce the show on Broadway and is hoping to sign up Anne and Colin for the lead roles. However, the Daily Mail claims the actress could take to the stage in London’s West End alongside Dominic West. Anne will get another chance to showcase her impressive vocals later this year since a musical number has been written especially for her in upcoming drama ‘Song One’. Her one-time co-star Jim Sturgess has also confessed he isn’t surprised by her singing success and thinks she is perfect for musical roles. Jim told BANG Showbiz: “I know how much she loves singing. When we were shooting the film ‘One Day’ she was always breaking out into theatrical songs. So I was already pretty sure that she’d be able to pull [‘Les Miserables’] off.”

Russell Brand to tell all in autobiography

T

he British comic has written two books about his life, ‘My Booky Wook’ and ‘Booky Wook 2: This Time It’s Personal’ - which ended shortly after he met the pop star - and has vowed to pen more in the future, and he knows he can’t leave out such a large chunk of his life.

Russell - who split from Katy in December 2011 after 14 months of marriage - said: “I will write more Booky Wooks, I love writing those Booky Wooks and there’s a lot to cover.

Maybe I’ll wait until I get married again or have more children before I write any more. “You can’t write things about your life and not include things that happened in your life.”

In recent months, Russell has been pictured several times chatting to homeless people and says he always takes time to talk to those living on the streets after previously being advised about how much they hate being ignored. He explained in a web chat with Heatworld: “There’s homeless people everywhere and when I was young a homeless person told me that worse than being poor and having no money and sleeping outside is that when you’re homeless, people don’t look at you in the face properly or talk to you, he said it made him feel lonely and sad. That person killed himself actually, he died of a drug overdose. “So now, when I meet homeless people I try to think ‘Well they’re just the same as me but they’ve had often a lot worse luck and in many cases, better dress sense, so I try to be nice to them and sweet because they’re just the same as us really.”

T

Josh Duhamel is excited about becoming a dad

he 40-year-old actor and his Black Eyed Peas singer wife Fergie are expecting their first child together and Josh revealed seeing the ultrasound has made it more real for him. He told Yahoo! omg!: “It’s very exciting. Seeing that ultrasound is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. You’re like, ‘Wow, it’s mine, “I think that I’ve always had an affinity for kids.

There’s something about me and kids that just clicks. “I don’t know if it’s because I am a kid, but it does prepare you whenever you’re around them. While Josh has had plenty of experience caring for his friend’s children and nieces and nephews, he admitted it will be very different to have

his own child. He explained: “ I’ve got nieces and nephews and all my friends have kids. All that stuff is a learning experience for when it actually happens, but I don’t think you’re ever truly prepared until it’s your own.” Fergie, 37 - whose real name is Stacy Ferguson - revealed she and her ‘Safe Haven’ actor husband are expecting their first child just last week. She tweeted: “Josh & Me & BABY makes three!!!! #mylovelybabybump (sic)” Fergie previously joked she and her hunky spouse were enjoying trying for a baby. She said: “We’ll be happy when it happens. It’s not really in our hands but trying is great for our relationship.”

Nick Carter is engaged

T Audrey Hepburn is to front new ad campaign

T

he cinematic icon - who passed away in 1993 - has been unveiled as the new face of Galaxy and CGI technology has been used to allow her to star in a new UK TV commercial for the chocolate company. Audrey Hepburn’s sons, Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti, said: “Our mother often spoke about her love of chocolate and how it lifted her spirit so we’re sure she would have been proud of her role as the face of Galaxy. The advert perfectly captures her playful spirit and we hope

audiences enjoy it as much as they enjoyed her movies.” The commercial which will air for the first time today during a break from ‘Mr. Selfridge’ on ITV - sees Audrey sitting on a crowded bus wondering when she can enjoy her hidden bar of Galaxy. After catching the eye of a passing motorist, she leaves the bus to join the hunk and dine on her sweet treat in peace. The campaign also sees the return of Galaxy’s famous tagline ‘Why have cotton when you can have silk’.

he Backstreet Boys singer proposed to his girlfriend of four years Lauren Kitt, in the Florida Keys with a seven-carat diamond ring from XIV KARATS on Wednesday and admitted he was desperate to pop the question. Nick, 33, told People: “I was like, ‘I don’t want [the ring] anymore!’ It was driving me insane. I just wanted to get it out of my hands and on to hers. “She said, ‘Yes,’ and I’m, like, ‘I don’t know what to do. She said, ‘You’re supposed to put it on my finger.’ So I did. I was in shock.” Fitness expert/actress Lauren, 29, admitted she was shocked by the proposal and acknowledged wedding dates will have to be worked around the upcoming Backstreet Boys tour.

She said: “I wasn’t expecting it. It just felt very surreal. We both are just so happy in love right now and on cloud nine.

“Our first thought was, ‘We need to contact the Backstreet Boys and find out when their schedule will permit. “It’s not up to us. It’s up to the schedule. We’re just excited and looking forward to the next chapter of our lives.”

Gemma Arterton had to learn how to be ‘bad’

T

he actress had to find her inner action hero for her latest role as a crime fighter in new movie ‘Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters’ - which follows grown up versions of the classic children’s story characters after they escape the gingerbread house - and while co-star Jeremy Renner is well versed in action films, Gemma had to toughen up.

Appearing on British TV show ‘Daybreak’, she said: “Jeremy’s a professional and has done all of this stuff before, but that was the challenge for me - to really become bad and brave, and learn how to fight, and learn how to do all of my stunts. I had to do a three week intensive fight [course]. “Stunts are usually ... there’s an element of you could always really get hurt, but a lot of it is fear. Once you’ve overcome that, it’s really good.” Following her star-making turn in James Bond film ‘Quantum of Solace’, the 27-year-old beauty - who is from a working class background in Kent, south east England - has become one of Hollywood’s most sought after actresses, something which she still can’t believe. She said: “I’ve got bruises all over my arms from the number of times I’ve pinched myself. It’s incredible. It’s a dream.” —Bangshowbiz

37

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

LIFESTYLE M o v i e s

L

&

M u s i c

The steamy art of Latvia’s ritual saunas

ying face down in deep snow, naked, in bone chilling sub-zero weather is enough to make anyone think twice.

But such are the extremes required to penetrate the mysteries of the “pirts” - Latvia’s little-known and complex interpretation of what is known in other parts of the world as the sauna, banya, hammam, Roman bath or Native American sweat lodge. For Juris Batna, owner of the Lielzemes-literally, ‘Big Strawberries’-pirts complex 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of the capital Riga, there are no short cuts when it comes to the rituals of the Latvian bath-house.

“The pirts is the Latvian temple. That is no exaggeration,” the 56-year-old told AFP. Dressed in a crisp white linen shirt fastened with a shiny bronze pin, his calm manner and smooth complexion are immediate advertisements for the health-giving properties of the pirts. “Long before Christianity arrived in Latvia with German crusaders, the pirts was our church,” he sighs, harking back to pagan times before the 13th century advent of Christendom. “Looking from the outside there may not seem to be a big difference between a sauna, a banya and a pirts - they are all small rooms with a high temperature. But the big difference is what we do inside. We call it a ‘ritual’,” Batna explains.

It starts in a nice, quiet sauna, but soon becomes a full-scale sensory assault as Batna and his wife Aelita wave, rub and thrash their subject with a succession of bundled twigs reminiscent of a fairytale witch’s broom. Hot stones, wooden and woven symbols, rhythmic chants, bells, oils and more are gradually added into the ritual as the temperature soars in a thrilling and sometimes disconcerting mix of sight, smell, sound, touch, taste... and sweat.

A full ritual, properly conducted, should take at least three hours, and can sometimes last six Batna says, using a minimum of 12 different besoms. The finishing touch, just as your senses threaten to go into meltdown is to plunge straight into a cold pool or, for traditionalists, rolling in the freezing snow outside. But before embarking on that final stage and the subsequent period of sublime tranquility it brings, Batna pauses to speak.

“This is the point at which some people have-what do you call it? — oh yes, a near-

death experience!” he smiles, pushing the door open. But he has no time for so-called sauna marathons that spun headlines in 2010 when a Russian man died of hyperthermia at a self-styled “Sauna World Championship” in Finland. “I would even say I hate such events,” he sighs.

Composed of several beautiful wooden buildings showcasing different pirts variants, Lielzemenes has rapidly become a gathering place for fans of folklore, historians and others interested in a deeper understanding of their Latvian roots. “There are more than 300 Latvian folk songs or ‘dainas’ on the subject of the pirts, and it was always the location of the most important of life’s events,” Batna explains.

“Latvians were born in the pirts and at the end of their lives they were taken back there before burial,” he adds. Women engaged to be married undergo special rituals with their female kinsfolk in the days before their marriage and Batna and his wife have revived a tradition that sees newborn children and their mothers entering the pirts to mark the beginning of their lives together.

Another almost-forgotten ritual in which boys officially come of age and are given the status of men is another they would like to revisit. Batna turned his back on a long and distinguished career as a clinical psychotherapist to devote himself full-time to the magic of the pirts, and now teaches hundreds of pupils who form communities of “pirtnieki” both in Latvia and abroad.

They in turn spread the word about the pirts and its uncanny, time-tested ability to make Latvians feel even more Latvian. “The pirts is perhaps the one thing that has not changed through our history for thousands of years. It survived occupations, wars, deportations and more. Even in the Soviet era when the banya was popular, you would still see a Latvian pirts behind every little farmhouse,” Batna says.

The revival of the age-old ritual is gaining steam across the ex-Soviet Baltic state of two million which joined the EU in 2004. “It is important we do not forget this rich knowledge. Many of the people who come to me now already have a pirts building on their properties, but they are not sure how to use it properly. Usually as soon as they start to learn, they just can’t get enough.” —AFP

Bosnian actor Nazif Mujic receives the Silver Bear for Best Actor for the film “Epizoda u zivotu beraca zeljeza” (An episode in the life of an iron picker) during the awards ceremony of the 63rd Berlinale Film Festival, in Berlin. —AFP

Silver Bear winner returns home to Bosnian Roma slum

“B

osnia’s best actor lives here,” says a brightly coloured cardboard sign hung on a tree, near where the village’s asphalt road turns into the muddy path that leads to a Roma slum. Now Nazif Mujic faces being forced to return to his previous job, hunting for scrap metal for just a few euros a day.

Earlier this month, Mujic picked up the Silver Bear for best actor at the Berlin Film Festival. His performance in Bosnian director Danis Tanovic’s “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” was one of the highlights of the festival. Shot on a very low budget over nine days with a digital camera, the film was one of the hits of the festival, also picking up the runner-up’s jury prize.

But all that is a long way from this povertystricken Bosnian village. Svatovac, an isolated hamlet with some 200 inhabitants near the northern town of Tuzla, is Mujic’s home. He and his family live in a dilapidated house with a make-shift veranda and failing roof. Guests are welcomed into a cold hall leading to a tiny room-the only one heated in the house. There, carefully shaven and neatly dressed, 42-year old Mujic smiles brightly to visitors through a thick curtain of cigarette smoke.

“It is like a fairy tale, all that has happened to me,” he says. “My ears are still buzzing and when I go to bed, I cannot fall asleep, I am full of joy.”

His 32-year-old wife Senada Alimanovic brings freshly made strong black coffee while Mujic recalls the thrilling days at the Berlinale. Their

director, Tanovic, had already won the 2002 Best Foreign-Language Picture Oscar for “No Man’s Land”.

This time however, he was telling their story: for he based the film on the Roma couple’s personal drama and they played their own roles.

“When I was five months pregnant, the doctors told me my baby was dead,” says Senada quietly.

“But since I had neither medical insurance nor 850 marks (435 euros, $575) to pay, they refused to treat me at Tuzla hospital,” she recalls. They turned her away despite the fact that the risk of septicaemia put her own life in danger. So Senada and her husband went to another hospital.”I had to deceive doctors, presenting myself as my sister-in-law who had health insurance, in order to undergo a surgery at the last moment,” she told AFP. Five months ago Alimanovic-already the mother of two girls-Semsa and Sandra-gave birth to a boy, who they named after Tanovic.

Mujic proudly indicates the Silver Bear statue, where it stands in its place of honour behind the glass door of an old cabinet.” This is our second baby, replacing the one Senada has lost. We call him Teddy bear,” he says. “If the doctors had reacted faster, maybe our child could have been saved as well,” Mujic says. In this village, everyone lives selling scrap metal, and before the glamour of the Berlin festival, that was what Mujic did every day too.

Before long, he may well have to do it again.

The couple was paid around 1,400 euros to star in the film. “Now we have only 35 euros left. In three days, I will take my cart again and keep hunting metal scrap,” he explains. But the money he normally earns from that work is barely enough to feed the family. “I made five to 10 euros per day, just enough to buy bread and make soup for the children. I would do anything to prevent them from begging on the streets,” he says. A regular job is his greatest wish, nothing more. “But no one has offered me anything yet.

We only got some wood for heating since I came back from Berlin” last weekend, he says.

Mujic’s brother Kasim hopes the film and prize will shine more light on a hard life of Roma community in Bosnia. “Now when we are famous, I hope we will have some benefits from the prize... to get a job more easily, to get health insurance,” Kasim says. According to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 22,000 of Bosnia’s 100,000strong Roma community in Bosnia live in slums like this one. In the Tuzla region alone, some 15,000 Romas are scattered across about a hundred hamlets. Only one percent among them have a regular job and as many as 50 percent of them have no medical insurance, says Muradif Biberovic, a local Roma community official.

Bosnia does not come out of the film well, says Bibovic: “And that is a shame. “But that is the way it is and one should have a courage to say so.” —AFP

85th Academy Awards will air live and exclusive on Fox Movies

This picture shows a visitor of the sauna ‘Lielzemenes’ lying on snow after a ritual of the Latvian bath-house in Vecumnieki, near Riga. —AFP

Cirque du Soleil to stage Jackson-themed show

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ichael Jackson fans will get more acrobatic dance moves, moon walks and pyrotechnics when Cirque du Soleil launches a new Las Vegas stage show based on the late King of Pop’s music. Called “One,” the show will begin on June 29 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, the Canadian circus troupe said. It will be second official Jackson-related production by Cirque du Soleil, whose “The Immortal World Tour” opened in 2011 in Montreal in collaboration with Jackson’s estate before going on an international tour.

“Michael Jackson is an all-time phenomenal artist, both timeless and contemporary,” Daniel Lamarre, Cirque du Soleil president and CEO, said in a statement on Thursday. “As a creative challenge, this project is the ultimate.” Billed as a “theatrical evocation” of Jackson’s music, the pro-

duction follows four misfits on a transformative journey in which they personify Jackson’s personality and world view of equality and unity.

The show is directed by Jamie King, who made his debut as a dancer in Jackson’s 1992-92 “Dangerous” tour and also directed the troupe’s “Immortal” show.

“One” choreographer Travis Payne, who served in the same position for the “Immortal” tour, has also worked with Jackson. Cirque du Soleil’s first Jackson show, which sets his music to high-flying aerialists, is currently on tour in Europe. It was the sixth highest-grossing musical tour in 2012, according to trade publication Pollstar. The show grossed $140.2 million last year in 172 performances in 74 cities. Jackson died in 2009 at age 50 from an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and sedatives. —AP

South Korean singer Psy (left) per forms his hit single “Gangnam Style” during a concert in Istanbul as part of the Istanbul Blue Night festival on February 22, 2013. —AFP

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ox Movies Shines in Gold this Movie Awards Season! On February 24, the channel is offering you a front row seat to the film industry’s biggest awards ceremony of the year, featuring the most coveted names in Hollywood. Indeed, for the fifth consecutive year, Fox Movies is bringing live and exclusive Academy Awards coverage to the region- on 25 February at 4:30 am KSA/5:30 amUAE. A repeat of the show set to be the most suspenseful Oscar night ever -is also scheduled to air on Fox Movies on February 25 at 9:00 pm KSA/10:00 pm UAE. The race to Oscar night began on January 10, 2013 with the 85thAcademy Awards nominations ceremony - which also aired live and exclusive on Fox Movies.This year’s nominees include Steven Spielberg’s film’s Lincoln which earned a staggering 12 nominations; Ang Lee’s Life of Pi which received 11 nominations; and both Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook which each garnered eight nominations.

Hollywood’s awards season is the most exhilarating time of the year for movie aficionados and bringing such a colossal event to the region-on Free TV - is perfectly in line with Fox Movies’ mission to deliver the best in worldwide entertainment. Fox Movies’’Month of Oscars’ is also hugely successful among viewers; this year’s programming provides a plethora of critically-acclaimed and highly-praised films, featuring the verybest in cinematic talent.The 85th Academy Awards airs live and exclusive on Fox Movies on February 25 at 4:30 am KSA/5:30 am UAE. A repeat of the show will also air on Fox Movies on February 25 at 9:00 pm KSA/10:00 pm UAE. An Oscars Red Carpet pre-show will also air on February 24 at 1:00 after midnight KSA/2:00 after midnight UAE and on 25 February at 4:00 pm KSA/5:00 pm UAE.

A member of the Berlin gymnastics association performs in a Rhoenrad wheel in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin, on February 21, 2013. —AFP

US actor and director Kevin Costner (third left) talks to French producer and President of the French film awards Cesars academy, Alain Terzian (second left) while French actress Emmanuelle Riva (center) listens to Hungarianborn French producer Margaret Menegoz beside (from right) French director Cyril Mennegun, French actress Valerie Benguigui and French actor Guillaume de Tonquedec at the end of the 38th Cesar Awards ceremony on February 22, 2013 at the Chatelet theatre in Paris. —AFP

‘Amour’ triumphs at French Cesars

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ichael Haneke’s Oscar-nominated film “Amour” about a man and his dying wife on Friday scooped the top prizes at France’s annual film awards, the Cesars, which also honoured Hollywood actor-director Kevin Costner with a lifetime achievement award. In addition to best film, “Amour” took best director and best script for Austrian Haneke and its French stars Jean-Louis Trintignant and 85-yearold Emmanuelle Riva picked up best actor and actress. The drama won the Palme d’Or at Cannes last year and a Golden Globe for best foreign language film in January. It has five nominations in Sunday’s Oscars including best actress and best film. A two-time Oscar winner for the 1990 hit “Dances with Wolves”, Costner, 58, meanwhile, was visibly moved by the standing ovation he received as he accepted his honorary Cesar. As well as “Dances with Wolves” for which he won best picture and best director Oscars, Costner has starred in a string of box office successes including “Field of Dreams”, “The Untouchables” and “The Bodyguard” with the late Whitney Houston. “I love the process that goes into making films... they remind us of what it means to be a hero, that heroes don’t always win,” he told a star-studded audience at the ceremony in Paris.

Best foreign film went to Ben Affleck’s “Argo”.

Affleck, who directed and starred in the film, was not at the ceremony. Since it beat 21 other movies to claim the top prize at Cannes, Haneke’s French language “Amour” has gone from strength to strength. Haneke, 70, has established himself in recent years as one of the most important film directors in Europe. His films include “The Piano Teacher”, “Cache” and

“Funny Games.”“Amour” had been in competition at the Cesars with Noemie Lvovsky’s “Camille Rewinds” (“Camille Redouble”) about a woman who travels back in time to relive her 1980s schooldays. “Camille”, the surprise hit of 2012 began with 13 nominations compared to 10 for “Amour” but finished the evening emptyhanded. Despite its difficult subject, “Amour” has been both a critical and box office success.

Over 680,000 people have been to see it in France, while the overseas audience figure stands at 1.7 million. It has been shown or is to be shown in some 50 countries worldwide. On Sunday it will hope to pick up more accolades with nominations in the five categories of best actress, best director, best script, best film and best foreign language film.

Riva, who celebrates her 86th birthday on the same day, has already made history by becoming the oldest woman to be nominated in the best actress category. Other contenders at Friday’s Cesars had included Benoit Jacquot’s “Farewell, My Queen” (“Les Adieux a la Reine”), a fictional account of the last days of Marie Antoinette, with 10 nominations. Jacques Audiard’s “Rust and Bone” also had nine nominations including best actress for Marion Cotillard.

Other nominees in the best film category included the thriller “In the House” (“Dans la Maison”) in which Francois Ozon explores the perils of a teacher getting too close to one of his students; the comedy “What’s in a Name?” (“Prenom”) by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patelliere about a group of 40-something friends’ dinner party disaster; and Leos Carax’s fantasy drama “Holy Motors” about a man living parallel lives. —AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

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onatella Versace doesn’t seek to revisit punk so much as to interpret what it would be if it were born today. She may have nailed it in the women’s collection for winter 2013-14 presented Friday on the third day of Milan Fashion Week. In fact, many of her creations were accentuated by clusters of silver spikes - some placed to make any moves toward intimacy a daring feat - or fastened together by long nails. Versace called the collection “sexy, strong, brave and full of energy.”

While the designer claimed a musical inspiration for her “Vunk” line, many of the looks had a distinct women warrior energy. Leather body suits were sculpted to look like armor, spikey leather bras were worn over dresses, and those spikes and nails certainly suggest a woman who can defend herself.

The favorite material was vinyl and the colors monochromatic: white, black, fire engine red and canary yellow, for the girl who always wanted to shine. Vinyl was crafted into form-fitting dresses with spikes fitted down one arm, or perhaps as earrings or a choker interspersed with jewels - with some strategically placed spikes easily measuring several inches (centimeters).

The collection was decidedly edgy, but Versace did make one nod to current trends, incorporating plaid into pleated miniskirts, often with vinyl panels or buckles. Cashmere sought, perhaps in vain,

to give some softness to the studded leather. Fur coats were dyed into artificial animal prints mimicking a zebra or a yellow and even red leopard, materials developed by American artists The Haas Brothers. Evening gowns of vinyl incorporated transparent panels for a look of exposure, while more classic materials were provocatively draped and wrapped around the body - always leaving a sexy slit. Shoes were either studded mid-calf boots with silver stiletto heels, or thigh-high boots. — AP

Models display creations as part of Versace Fall-Winter 2013-2014 Womenswear collection on February 22, 2013 during the Women’s fashion week in Milan. — AFP photos

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he Etro collection for next winter was short and to the point. Walking through a kaleidoscope of Etro patterns projected on a screen, the models marched down the runway in structured outfits, underlining the power silhouette that is becoming the No. 1 trend of the current Milan Fashion

Week. Friday’s show, part of the womenswear preview showings for the fall-winter 2013-2014, featured coats and jackets with marked shoulders, slim skirts and belted waistlines, all signs of an aggressive urban mood. Creative designer Veronica Etro jazzed up the usually gentle Etro patterns with

metallic touches. Many of the outfits also featured prominent zippers. The kaleidoscope idea, at times turning digital with computerized versions of church domes, stained glass windows, frescoes and tapestries, became next winter’s pattern motifs. The color palette ranges from coral to amethyst to

Models display creations as part of Etro Fall-Winter 2013-2014 Womenswear collection on February 22, 2013 during the Women’s fashion week in Milan. — AFP

blues and greens, to silver and gold all on a stark black background. Burnt orange, the favorite shade of the season also plays heavily in the collection. The preferred Etro footwear is ankle-strapped with a determined metallic heel. - AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

lifestyle F a s h i o n

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onatella Versace once famously said that shoes are the new jewelry. This season, her decree is being fulfilled to the hilt - which at times means all the way up the thigh. Midway through Milan Fashion Week’s preview shows for the 2013-14 winter season, shoes are more than accessories.

They are little masterpieces. The season’s favorite heel is high, sparkling and metallic.

And the favorite shape is pointed. Versace upped the ante, adding studs to spikyheeled boots.

In most collections, booties have supplanted last season’s equestrian footwear. In this round’s aggressive look, thick-soled winter sandals, sometimes with power ankle straps, are ready for an urban march. Pumps are mostly reserved for elegant eveningwear.

Designers are also leaving room for comfort, but always with a touch of luxury.

Sneakers have suede and python leather touches, velvet slippers were embroidered, and there were even simple work boots worn with ankle socks.

COLANGELO Gabriele Colangelo’s womenswear line for next winter drew inspiration from artist Laurent Segretier’s “photographic digital distortions” - a concept that the designer translated with 3-D flair. In the collection that previewed Friday on the third day of Milan Fashion Week, the notion of digital distortions came through in pixelated patterns on coats that sometimes gave way to panels of sheer gray fabric. The sheer materials made for an “unfinished” look, Colangelo said in the notes, “creating a vacuum and allowing glimpses of the body.” Sheer materials also were used in sweaters, alternating vertical stripes with knitted patterns. In one version, a long sweater dress included a hood wrapped around the head, creating a cocoon effect. The look was finished with a sleeveless mink-astrakhan-striped coat, itself of alternating stripes.

Colangelo experimented with textiles, layering shinier fabrics with a dulling sheer fabric that had created optical illusions, as if

a tunic were actually a top and a miniskirt. A series of heavy wool jackets - many in white had a poncho effect, finished with a yarn fringe. There was also an architectural feel to the clothing - another trend on Milan runways this season - with stiff fabrics giving shape or inventive cuts, like a notched collar laid flat, challenging the status quo. The color palette was decidedly urban with a dominance of grays broken up by green, maroon and some winter white. Colangelo finished the outfits with leather booties by Bionda Castana and camera bags with leather handles by Borbonese. — AP

Models wears creations for Gabriele Colangelo women’s Fall-Winter 2013-14 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, unveiled in Milan, Italy. — AP photos

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esigner Roberto Cavalli drew inspiration for his second line “Just Cavalli” collection, from a recent trip to Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, at the foot of the Himalayas. “Riches there are measured by the values of happiness,” the designer said ahead of Thursday’s show, which had an ethnic, almost hippie feel to it.

Nearly the entire collection came in subdued native prints, fashioned in anything from tunics over pants to colorful evening gowns. Accessories included long silk necklaces like the ones worn by the Bhutan nobility, and a backpack to replace the more urban handbag. Many designers are featuring fur this round of preview shows, including Cavalli who used it mainly to trim the hoods of his winter parkas. That was enough to draw the wrath of a small group of animal rights activists who disrupted the show holding up signs in Italian saying, “Your fashion is our death,” until they were forcibly removed. — AP

Models display creations as part of Just Cavalli Fall-Winter 2013-2014 Womenswear collection during the Women’s fashion week in Milan.

— AFP photos

Versace nails a new punk look for next winter

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013

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he Canadian former ambassador to Iran who protected Americans at great personal risk during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis says it will reflect poorly on Ben Affleck if he doesn’t say a few words about Canada’s role if the director’s film “Argo” wins the Oscar for best picture today.

But Ken Taylor - who said he feels slighted by the movie because it makes Canada look like a meek observer to CIA heroics in the rescue of six US citizens caught in the crisis - is not expecting it.

“I would hope he would. If he doesn’t than it’s a further reflection,” Taylor said. “But given the events of the last while I’m not necessarily anticipating anything.” Taylor kept the Americans hidden at the embassy in Tehran and facilitated their escape by getting fake passports and plane tickets for them. He became a hero in Canada and the United States after. The role he played in helping the Americans to freedom was minimized in the film.

“In general it makes it seem like the Canadians were just along for the ride. The Canadians were brave. Period,” Taylor said. Affleck’s thriller is widely expected to win the best-picture trophy. Two other high-profile best-picture nominees this year, Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” and Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” have also been criticized for their portrayal of some factual issues. Affleck said in a statement Friday night he thought his issue with Taylor had been resolved. “I admire Ken very much for his role in rescuing the six houseguests. I consider him a hero. In light of my many conversations as well as a change to an end card that Ken requested I am surprised that Ken continues to take issue with the film,” he said in a statement. “I spoke to him recently when he asked me to narrate a documentary he is prominently featured in and yet he didn’t mention any lingering concerns.

I agreed to do it and I look forward to seeing Ken at the recording.”

Taylor noted that former US President Jimmy Carter appeared on CNN on Thursday night and said “90 percent of the contributions to the ideas and the consummation of the plan was Canadian,” but the film “gives almost full credit to the American CIA.” Carter also called “Argo” a complete distortion of what happened when he accepted an honorary degree from Queen’s University in Canada in November. “I saw the movie Argo recently and I was taken aback by its distortion of what happened because almost everything that was heroic, or courageous or innovative was done

by Canada and not the United States,” Carter said.

Taylor said there would be no movie without the Canadians. “We took the six in without being asked so it starts there,” Taylor said. “And the fact that we got them out with some help from the CIA then that’s where the story loses itself. I think Jimmy Carter has it about right, it was 90 percent Canada, 10 percent the CIA.” He said CIA agent Tony Mendez, played by Affleck in the film, was only in Iran for a day and a half.

The movie also makes no mention of John Sheardown, a deputy at the Canadian embassy who sheltered some of the Americans. Taylor said it was Sheardown who took the first call and agreed right away to take the Americans in.

Sheardown recently died and his wife, Zena, called the movie disappointing.

Friends of Taylor were outraged last September when “Argo” debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. The original postscript of the movie said that Taylor received 112 citations and awards for his work in freeing the hostages and suggested Taylor didn’t deserve them because the movie ends with the CIA deciding to let Canada have the credit for helping the Americans escape Taylor called the postscript lines “disgraceful and insulting” and said it would have caused outrage in Canada if the lines were not changed. Affleck flew Taylor to Los Angeles after the Toronto debut and allowed him to insert a postscript that gave Canada some credit. Taylor called it a good movie and said he’s not rooting against it, but said it is far from accurate. “He’s a good director. It’s got momentum. There’s nothing much right from Day 1 I could do about the movie. I changed a line at the end because the caption at the end was disgraceful. It’s like Tiananmen Square, you are sitting in front of a big tank,” he said. — AP